Webber International University proudly announces another outstanding achievement in its commitment to fostering future business leaders. Led by Dr. Joanne Muniz, Assistant Professor & Chair of Accounting, Honors Program Director, Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) District III Advisor, and FL FBLA Board Member, 21 exceptional students from the university’s Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) Collegiate Division participated in this year’s FL FBLA State Leadership Conference (SLC) held in Orlando.
The conference, which saw over 200 students from across the state in attendance, provided a platform for immersive learning experiences, including local business tours, engaging leadership panels, and highly competitive state-level competitions.
“Participating in the FL FBLA State Leadership Conference has been a transformative experience for our students,” remarked Dr. Muniz. “Their dedication and enthusiasm are truly commendable, and I am immensely proud of their accomplishments.”
Competing in 24 events, 17 students qualified to represent Webber and the State of Florida at the upcoming FBLA National Leadership Conference in June. Results of this year’s state competition are: the team of Paysee Crow and Joshua Carr, 3rd place, Accounting Case Study; Solimar Hernandez, 4th, Business Communication; the team of Thea Roque, Alyssia Bouyoucas, and Michelina Arrigo, 1st, Business Ethics; the team of Rebecca Wilkins and Daniel Diaz, 2nd, Business Presentation; the team of Chase Muniz, Paysee Crow, and Michelina Arrigo, 2nd, Community Service Project; Phylicity Knowles, 2nd, Emerging Business Issues; Joshua Carr, 3rd, Foundations of Accounting; Daniel Diaz, 2nd, Foundations of Communication; Adrianna Campero, 2nd, Foundations of Hospitality Management; Haley Leavines, 3rd, Foundations of Marketing; Joshua Lopez-Ruiz, 4th, Foundations of Selling; the team of Haley Leavines and Bryce Gerber, 4th, Hospitality Management Case Study; Katenda Maweja, 4th, Impromptu Speaking; Seth Jones, Jr., 1st, Retail Management; and, Kornel Szabo, 2nd, Sports Management & Marketing.
It takes months of preparation by students to create their presentations and productions and to be ready for objective testing events which tie to co-curricular programming designed to support the development of National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) competencies. NACE competencies have been identified by employers as highly valuable for the success of students in their future careers. These include critical thinking, communication, teamwork, technology, leadership, professionalism, career/self-development, and equity & inclusion.