WASHINGTON, PA (June 7, 2017)-The newly-instituted Washington & Jefferson College chapter of the Future Business Leaders of America-Phi Beta Lambda (FBLA-PBL) is already making a splash at a national level.
In just its first year as a W&J campus organization, the FBLA-PBL is sending Mason Radford ’18 and Matthew Montis ’18 to compete in the National Leadership Conference in Anaheim, California, from June 24-26.
The organization came to W&J after years of student interest, according to Liberatore. Due to the high demand for the program, the economics and business department offered its support, and student leaders quickly stepped up to the task of running the organization, with Jake Harrison ’18 and Connor Robick ’18 heading those efforts.
As part of the state conference held in Harrisburg, students were challenged to demonstrate their business knowledge through tests and presentations on a variety of business topics. Radford and Montis qualified to compete at the national level after both placed second at the state competition, where Radford tested in Hospitality Management and Montis tested in Programming Concepts.
“It is exciting that so soon into our chapter launch we have two candidates who have qualified for National Leadership Conference competition,” said Associate Professor of Economics and Business Ralph Liberatore, who acts as a sponsor for the W&J Chapter of FBLA-PBL.
Montis wasn’t expecting to place in his category, and he is proud of the W&J chapter doing so well at its first state competition.
“I was a bit shocked,” Montis said of his win. “[They first announced that] Mason had placed…and we felt that one out of three [competitors earning] awards was respectable for our chapter’s first conference appearance. When I later earned a second place finish as well, we became ecstatic about our strong showing.”
During the national competition, Montis and Radford will face off against top students from all over the country. Events during the conference feature a number of challenges, including timed objective testing, role playing, and presentations before a panel of judges. To prepare for the competition, the students are reviewing course material covered in their classes at W&J.
Montis and Radford are able to travel to Anaheim thanks to financial support of the business and economics department, Academic Affairs and the Student Government Association (SGA). Liberatore hopes that as the FBLA-PBL moves forward, it will continue to grow with the support of the W&J community.
“The organization is open to students in any major. There really is something for everyone,” Liberatore said. “We have a great body of students here at W&J with various talents and interests and so much to offer. It would be great to have that diversity of disciplines to represent the chapter.”
About Washington & Jefferson College
Washington & Jefferson College, located in Washington, Pa., is a selective liberal arts college founded in 1781. Committed to providing each of its students with the highest-quality undergraduate education available, W&J offers a traditional arts and sciences curriculum emphasizing interdisciplinary study and independent study work. For more information about W&J, visit washjeff.dev, or call 888-W-AND-JAY.
Are you ready to Be A President? Apply to W&J now.
