The Southern Arkansas University chapter of FBLA-Collegiate, formerly known as Phi Beta Lambda, competed in various business competitions, presentations, speeches, and objective tests at the FBLA-Collegiate State Leadership Conference in Little Rock, Arkansas, on March 31.
“On top of the usual competition-day nerves before giving presentations and speeches to the judges, the students that competed in Little Rock experienced several tornado warnings in the immediate area around the conference,” recounted Instructor of Management Lindsay Givens. “I’m so thankful we weren’t in the direct path of the tornadoes, and I couldn’t be prouder of how the students represented the David F. Rankin College of Business and SAU that day.”
Despite weather-related stressors, the SAU chapter won 24 awards at the conference, more than any other FBLA-Collegiate chapter in the state. Of the 31 SAU students who competed, 19 won awards and are eligible to represent Arkansas at the FBLA-Collegiate National Leadership Conference in Atlanta, GA, in June.
Brenna Warrick, a sophomore and marketing and sales major from Magnolia, Arkansas, is eager to return to nationals, having competed in Chicago in 2022.
“I am more excited about this year’s national competition because it’s been awesome seeing all of us getting out of our comfort zones, experiencing and overcoming new challenges, working hard, and simply getting the job done,” Warrick said.
“I’m so excited to travel with them to Atlanta this summer and bring some national awards back to SAU!” Givens added.
FBLA-Collegiate membership is open to all currently-enrolled SAU students, both undergraduate and graduate.
Warrick wants students to know that “FBLA allows you to surround yourself with like-minded students who are intelligent, ambitious, competitive, disciplined, and well-rounded. These relationships will sharpen you for the better.”
Anyone interested in joining FBLA-Collegiate should contact faculty advisor Lindsay Givens at legivens@saumag.edu.
First Place Awards
Jana Avery and Heath Heikes: Accounting Case Competition
Jana Avery: Economic Analysis & Decision Making
Laura Elnaggar: Foundations of Accounting
Laura Elnaggar: Microeconomics
Austin Evans and Deborah Tarca: Social Media Marketing
Eric Gordon, Kenley Spruill, & Brenna Warrick: Business Presentation
Hannah Henderson: Business Ethics
Eli Lemmel and Kim Rand: Business Sustainability
Logan Owens: Retail Management
Briston Rains: Impromptu Speaking
Briston Rains: Public Speaking
Brenna Warrick: Macroeconomics
Second Place Awards
Ashlyn Broughton: Business Communications
Eli Lemmel: Sports Management and Marketing
Bryan Lok: Foundations of Finance
Connor McDonald: Impromptu Speaking
Connor McDonald: Sales Presentation
Kim Rand: Project Management
Kenley Spruill: Foundations of Accounting
Third Place Awards
Faith Davis: Microeconomics
Ema Gantt: Project Management
Hannah Henderson: Foundations of Finance
Ryan Wells: Marketing Concepts
Ryan Wells: Retail Management
