The Phi Beta Lambda (PBL) business team at Embry-Riddle’s Prescott campus, which won its eighth consecutive PBL Arizona Leadership Competition in April, has returned from the event’s national competition in Nashville with a number of Top 10 finishes.
“The fact that all 10 students who competed in the competitive performance events went on to the final round, meaning they placed in the Top 15 in the nation, is simply incredible,” said Substitute Advisor Dr. Cindy Greenman. “Congratulations to our Business Eagles!”
Team Member Results:
Kyle Sale (ABA May 2014 graduate) Third Place: Sales Presentation
Suhail Gunja (ABA Senior) and Lisanne Kippenberg (ABA Senior) Fourth Place: Marketing Analysis and Decision Making Ninth Place: Economic Analysis and Decision Making
Alexander Friedman (ABA Junior) Fourth Place: Help Desk
Mwangi Karuri (ABA Sophomore) and Shawn Meacham (ABA Junior) Eighth Place: Accounting Analysis and Decision Making
Earlier this year, as part of this year’s 2014 PBL State Leadership Conference, 45 students from Embry-Riddle’s Prescott campus competed in the 48 individual and team events, earning the largest number of first-place finishes (31) and the largest number of total awards (68 first, second and third place awards). The Business Club was re-established in 2004.
“I’m very proud that our students performed exceptionally well against formidable competitors from well-established programs at multiple colleges and universities,” said Dr. Javad Gorjidooz, professor of finance at the Prescott Campus and faculty advisor for the group. “This victory clearly indicates the quality of the students and the business faculty here at Embry-Riddle.”
Sponsored by the Future Business Leaders of America, Phi Beta Lambda is the largest student business organization in the world that helps students develop business and leadership skills for a competitive edge in their future careers.
Also in Embry-Riddle’s winning circle are the Prescott campus men’s and women’s golf teams, who recently won the California Pacific Conference championship. The teams were invited to compete in the 54-hole tournament in Beijing, China.
The tournament was hosted by the Shichahai Sports School, which trains roughly 5,000 athletes per year and has produced seven Olympic gold medalists in its 50-year history.
The purpose of the trip was a lesson in culture and friendly international competition. The Chinese student-athletes are scheduled for a reciprocal visit to Prescott in spring 2015 for the Embry-Riddle Invitational.
“The most rewarding part has truly been seeing the relationships develop between the young players – even though there is definitely a language barrier,” said coach Kim Haddow. “During the matches, we all laughed together, cheered together and agonized together through our golf shots.” QCBN
By Bryan Dougherty
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