South Georgia Technical College Phi Beta Lambda chapter earns 21 awards and recognitions at National Leadership Conference

Anaheim, CA - Five members of the South Georgia Technical College Americus Campus Chapter of Phi Beta Lambda earned 21 awards and recognitions at the Phi Beta Lambda National Leadership Conference competitive events held recently at the Hilton Anaheim in Anaheim, California. South Georgia Technical College students earned a second place, fourth place, two fifth place finishes and a ninth place finish in the national competitions against two and four-year colleges and universities from across the nation. The SGTC PBL chapter also earned eight chapter awards and recognitions at the including: Diamond Chapter Award, Hollis & Kitty Guy Gold Seal Chapter Award of Merit, Outstanding Chapter, Membership Achievement Award, PBL Chapter Challenge, Non-Stop November Challenge, super Sweeps Challenge, and Action Awareness Challenge. Dr. Andrea Oates, PBL Advisor and Academic Dean at SGTC, earned the Outstanding Local Chapter Advisor and was recognized with five years of service. Kia Blackmon-Mable of Americus took second place in the Future Business Educator competition and received a $400 prize for her efforts. She was competing against 21 different individuals from across the nation. She also earned a fourth place finish in the Emerging Business Leaders competition which had 15 different individual and teams vying for the top honor. Ricarda Blackmon of Americus captured a fifth place finish in the Network Design competition. He was competing against 14 of the top students from two and four-year colleges across the U.S. He received the Presidential level for the CMAP as well. Mathew Kent of Montezuma also received a fifth place finish in the Justice Administration competition. He had to compete against 36 other top contenders. Shannon Stewart of Montezuma won a ninth place Community Service Project and became a finalist in Business Sustainability competing against 20 and 22 other top individuals in those events. In the team competition, Ricarda Blackmon, Kia Blackmon-Mable, Alicia English of Americus and Fierra Riley of Americus received the Membership Madness award. The attendees from South Georgia Technical College included: Dr. Andrea Oates, advisor, along with students Racarda Blackmon (PBL President), Kia Blackmon-Mable, Branyon Kendrick, Matthew Kent, and Shannon Stewart. In all, the chapter received 21 awards and recognitions. In addition, the students are graduates of the 2017 Institute for Leaders Conference. The chapter was excited to participate in the “Legacy of Leadership” events that celebrated the 75th anniversary of Phi Beta Lambda—the world’s oldest and largest business student organization. The conference prepares student leaders and members to assume their elected responsibilities and develop valuable life skills. Members also enjoyed networking with PBL members from all over the country and expressed excitement about experience gained from the conference and competitions. The NLC draws thousands of future business leaders each year to compete in leadership events, share successes, and learn new ideas about shaping their careers through workshops and exhibits. The four-day conference is considered the pinnacle of the FBLA-PBL experience, especially those running for national office. Future Business Leaders of America-Phi Beta Lambda, Inc. (FBLA-PBL) is the largest career student organization in the world. Each year, FBLA-PBL helps over 200,000 members prepare for careers in business. For more information about PBL at SGTC, contact Americus campus advisor Dr. Andrea Oates at 229.931.2705 or aoates@southgatech.edu. The conference attendees share their successes with Ms. Donna Lawrence (State and Local PBL advisor), officers, and members of the SGTC PBL Americus Chapter.