Students celebrate their wins at the SBLC in Union City, Calif. The Cal State Fullerton chapter exceeded last year’s figure by more than 75%, winning nearly a third of the total awards given.

The Cal State Fullerton chapter of the business student club, Phi Beta Lambda (PBL), set a new record for 94 awards at the organization’s annual State Business Leadership Conference (SBLC). The chapter’s president discusses the awards and the organization.

Cal State Fullerton’s PBL chapter keeps reaching higher. Last year, they earned six awards at the organization’s annual fall conference and 51 medals and awards at the SBLC. This year, they smashed their previous record with 94 awards, nearly a third of the total 306 medals awarded at the event representing 12 campuses.

“I’m most proud of our first-place Sweepstakes Chapter award,” says chapter president Juan Juy ’16 (marketing). “This award is given to the chapter that took home both the most medals overall and the highest quality of medals.”

The competitions consist of individual and team events covering 48 business and career subjects, including business ethics, marketing concepts and financial strategies. Participation not only rewards students for their academic performance but also serves as a career-building tool.

“By receiving feedback from a panel of judges, members can identify areas for improvement, developing them for the business world,” says Juy. “By placing in the top five of those competitions, members not only get a shiny medal and a résumé booster, but they also get a sense of accomplishment and assurance that they are on the right path to becoming a future business leader.”

While popular among business majors, membership in PBL is open to all students. Among participants at the SBLC were advertising, psychology, physics and human communications majors.

PBL has chapters at colleges and universities throughout the nation, with additional chapters at high schools nationwide through Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA). In addition to weekly meetings, the chapter hosts regular workshops, competitions and leadership opportunities. More information is available online.

PBL is just one of the student clubs in the Business Inter-Club Council, all of which help prepare Mihaylo students for successful careers by providing networking, team projects and campus activities. For more information, visit the college’s club directory.