蘑菇短视频

Students (from left) Piper Travis and Baylie Christensen represent Western Carolina University at the Future Business Leaders of America National Leadership Conference in Las Vegas.

Two 蘑菇短视频 students are back on campus for the fall semester after advancing to the Future Business Leaders of America National Leadership Conference over the summer, bringing back a little hardware for the trophy case in Forsyth Building, home to the College of Business.

The students 鈥� Baylie Christensen, a sophomore from Hardwick, Vermont, majoring in sport management and marketing with a minor in Spanish, and Piper Travis, a junior from Newton majoring in sport management and marketing with a minor in hospitality and tourism management 鈥� participated in the FBLA collegiate event June 5-8 in Las Vegas.

Christensen competed in events in the disciplines of sport management and marketing and in international business, while Travis competed in the hospitality management foundations category, placing sixth in the nation. Both advanced to the national conference competition based on their performances at previous events at the state level.

The 蘑菇短视频students agreed that the experience of attending a national conference, interacting with other business students from across the country and beginning to form a network in the industry has been invaluable.

鈥淔or me, I think FBLA is a great way to get into the business industry even if it's not your major. It's a great way to learn about it and get to know people in the business world. Even if you are just curious about business, I think FBLA is a great way to start,鈥� said Christensen, who was a member of the organization high school and served as vice president of the local chapter.

鈥淚 got the opportunity to go to the nationals as a sophomore in high school. For this national conference, I was able to learn more about my field of interest as well as meet new people in the field and other future business leaders, most of whom are actually FBLA alumni themselves,鈥� she said. 鈥淎t any FBLA conference, whether it's at the state or national level, you have the opportunity to sit in and listen to business leaders talk and give advice on going about it in the field and becoming a leader yourself.鈥�

Travis agreed, characterizing the conference鈥檚 multiple seminars, daily sessions and opportunities to meet like-minded students as an incredible learning experience.

鈥淚 connected with attendees from all over the country, as well as business experts who took the time to come and present during their summer. They also had job fairs and things like that,鈥� Travis said. 鈥淵ou can tell that they are really trying to make sure students can learn and accelerate themselves and their future careers as much as they can.鈥�

Unlike her fellow FBLA national conference attendee from WCU, Travis did not participate in the organization during her high school years, learning of its existence only after being introduced to it by Christensen, who also happened to be her roommate last year.

鈥淏aylie asked if I would be interested in joining this club she participated in while she was in high school. Now, I had never heard of FBLA in my life, never heard of any high schools in my area that offered it as a club, nothing. But, as the scared little freshmen we were, I said why not, and, well, now we鈥檙e here,鈥� Travis said. 鈥淚t definitely was an honor to represent Western Carolina, especially at such a high level.鈥�

While both Christensen and Travis are still in the process of figuring out their long-term career goals, they agree that participating in FBLA during their times as College of Business students at 蘑菇短视频will be an asset going forward.

鈥淓ven if you鈥檙e not majoring in business, FBLA provides amazing opportunities to grow as a leader and person,鈥� said Christensen, who is currently serving as the 蘑菇短视频chapter鈥檚 vice president of membership and recruitment. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a great opportunity to learn more about the business world, and you will gain valuable knowledge for any career you choose.鈥�

The participation of Christensen and Travis at the FBLA National Leadership Conference is in keeping with the College of Business philosophy of providing experiences beyond the classroom that will help prepare students for successful careers, said the college鈥檚 dean, A.J. Grube.

鈥淥ur No. 1 priority is making sure that our students graduate as confident professionals who are 鈥楤usiness Ready庐鈥� from day one,鈥� Grube said. 鈥淚n the College of Business, we know that success is not a spectator sport. Success doesn鈥檛 just happen. That鈥檚 why we encourage our students not to just sit on the sidelines and watch the world of business. Instead, we want them to roll up their sleeves and get into it through activities such as the FBLA National Leadership Conference.鈥�