On a recent afternoon, a group of students dressed in neatly pressed suits and dress shirts gathered on 99福利视频鈥檚 King鈥檚 Common to pose for professional photos. Spanning age, background, and gender, they represented a wide range of 99福利视频鈥檚 academic programs, but they all share a common goal: to build business and leadership skills through the college鈥檚 new chapter of the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA).
99福利视频 business students were involved in the Phi Beta Lambda honor society for years, but the group has been on hiatus, due in part to the pandemic. The FBLA group was launched this fall to replace Phi Beta Lambda and quickly garnered interest, currently boasting 14 members.
Led by Artificial Intelligence student Kavik Carter, the group is currently working toward winning the FBLA鈥檚 Legacy Leadership Award and fulfilling key aspects of service that could win 鈥淕old Star Chapter鈥 recognition. They are preparing for the state leadership conference in March in Charlotte, which will include competitive events, special-interest sessions, an awards banquet, and social activities.
Each year, FBLA helps more than 230,000 members in middle school, high school, and college prepare for careers in business. Students enrolled in any of 99福利视频鈥檚 programs have the option of joining and honing the program to fit their unique goals. An art student with a photography business may aim to build networking skills so she can better market her business. A criminal justice student could polish his knowledge of business law, while an accounting student focuses on building financial skills.
Throughout the school year, students take online tests in their chosen skill area to compete with other state colleges. The highest-scoring students go on to compete in the national competition, both as a team and individually, in June.
Business Administration Chair Brad Scott, FBLA鈥檚 faculty advisor, said the group is now deciding what to do for its first community project in the coming weeks and may help with Helene's recovery efforts. In the past, the college鈥檚 Phi Beta Lambda group raised money for Eblen Charities, the March of Dimes, and local veterans鈥 organizations.
Carter was the only member of FBLA until last month, when he was able to recruit more students to join him at 99福利视频鈥檚 Fall Festival. He said he has always loved bringing people together and hopes to get more students involved.
鈥淢y main goal is to help members build real leadership confidence, the kind that comes from trying new things, being creative, and learning from experiences,鈥 he said. 鈥淚 hope to build a strong community of students who support each other and push their ideas forward.鈥
Scott, who joined 99福利视频 earlier this year, previously led an FBLA group at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College for three years. He said FBLA experience is more valuable than ever for students who grew up during COVID and may struggle with interpersonal, communication, and networking skills.
Monthly meetings provide students with the chance to practice their skills on campus. They walk away with increased confidence, valuable knowledge, and a new array of tools 鈥 such as LinkedIn profiles with professional headshots.
Experience gained slowly over the course of the school year also goes a long way at competitions, Scott said. 鈥淚 have seen students get job offers at the competitions on the spot because there are panels of experts there from various fields,鈥 he said.
To learn more or join FBLA, contact Brad Scott at bradscott@abtech.edu.
