Two members of the Cayuga Community College Phi Beta Lambda (PBL) business club advanced to the finals at the National Future Business Leaders PBL Conference in Anaheim, Calif., last month.
Jodi Rogers of Red Creek and Kevin Franceschelli of Auburn both placed in the top 15 nationally in their respective competition category, word processing and public speaking. Rogers outperformed peers across the country in a timed written test on seven Microsoft Office-based exercises, and Franceschelli scored high in his poised delivery of a four-minute speech, for which he only had 10 minutes to prepare.
The two students were part of a five-member team from Cayuga who qualified at states to compete at the national competition. The other team members included James Molina of Philadelphia (public speaking), Max Appleby of Weedsport (Community Service, Sales Presentation, and Hospitality and Tourism), and Natalie Krone of Auburn (Community Service).
“Participating in the conference gave me the opportunity to interact with peers from around the country,” Rogers said. “The experience highlights not only the similarities and differences of the courses taught at similar institutions. Additionally, it enables participants to showcase their strengths and abilities through the competitions. The national conference is a great experience for PBL members.”
Business Instructor and Club Advisor Amy Valente said she was proud of the success her students achieved. “It was a huge accomplishment for two of our students to be in the finals,” she said. “Besides the competitive events, there were days of workshops which were very informative and worthwhile for me and the students. Overall, it was an excellent conference.”
The FBLA-PBL National Awards Program recognizes and rewards excellence in a broad range of business and career-related areas. Individual and team events focus on skills useful in leadership and career development; chapter events recognize overall achievement and performance in chapter management and growth, according to the national PBL web site.
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