WSC student org makes impression at PBL State Leadership Conference

GRAND FORKS, ND - Six students from Williston State College's Business and Computer Club attended the Phi Beta Lambda State Leadership Conference in April. The event was held in Grand Forks, ND on the University of North Dakota's campus.  These students competed in various events, bringing back 11 awards landing WSC in the top three schools by point ranking.

Phi Beta Lambda (PBL) is a post-secondary organization that strives to provide students with opportunities to improve their skills as both students and future leaders.  Clubs are organized on college campuses and focus on a variety of things from career development, service, and student activities.  Typically, students are pursuing some kind of education and/or professional goal in business, but it is not a requirement for membership.  PBL is the collegiate level of Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), which serves the same purpose for high school students.

Throughout the year, there are a number of FBLA and PBL conferences held regionally and nationally to educate students and inspire them to be leaders.  This year's North Dakota State Leadership Conference featured speakers from across the nation that spoke on how to be an excellent leader without having to compromise one's ethics, a hot topic in the business world today.   

"This was the first time I had ever heard of PBL, but I decided to attend the conference to see what it was all about," stated Megan Telehey, a WSC sophomore business management student.  "I absolutely loved attending the different sessions to hear firsthand from industry leaders as well as compete against students from across the state."  

Membership in the business club had slowly deteriorated the past few years, but really took off when Christianson joined forces with Ken Quamme, Information Technology Program Coordinator, to serve as co-advisors of the Business and Computer Club.  

"We have had many conversations about how business and IT are related to one another, so it made sense to have our students join together in one club, instead of us competing against one another for members," stated Quamme.  

Students attending the conference could choose from over 50 competitive events to participate in.  These events fall into three categories: individual, team, and chapter. They vary from business-related fields such as accounting and management to professional skill sets such as public speaking and word processing.  

"I had fun and learned things while building comradely with my fellow WSC students" stated Kyle Stebleton, a freshman business student at WSC.  "It was interesting to meet so many students from so many colleges in the area, all interested in the same career path as myself."  

Students who place at the State Leadership Conference qualify to compete in Nashville, TN for the National Leadership Conference in June this year.  

"I am extremely proud of how our students performed at PBL.  This shows the quality of education that Williston State provides for our students across the board, not just in business," added Christianson.     

WSC's PBL 2014 Results
First Place
· Business Decision Making (Brandie Kemple, Kyle Stebleton)
· Economic Analysis and Decision Making (Kyle Gjelsness)
· Hospitality Management (Megan Telehey and Rebekah Fetzer)
· Marketing Concepts (Rebekah Fetzer)
· Organizational Behavior and Leadership (Rebekah Fetzer)  

Second Place
· International Business (Kyle Gjelsness)
· Macroeconomics (Kyle Stebleton)  

Third Place
· Macroeconomics (Kyle Gjelsness)
· Management Concepts (Megan Telehey)
· Organizational Behavior and Leadership (Megan Telehey)
· Future Business Executive (Ryan Seidel)  

For more information about PBL and their performance at the State Leadership Conference, please contact Serena Christianson at serena.christianson@willistonstate.edu or 701.774.4526.

For other information regarding Williston State, visit www.willistonstate.edu, call 1.888.863.9455, or stop by 1410 University Avenue, Williston, ND.