CMU Department of Business celebrates success of students
CMU Instructor of Business Tyler Liff celebrated the victory of his students with a real fist pump despite the virtual nature of the 2020 Future Business Leaders of America State Leadership Conference competition. The celebration from his remote office resulted in his wife inquiring about the cause of the commotion. Liff’s celebratory antics were the result of CMU business students returning from the state competition with 20 top three awards and qualifying all nine members to compete in the National Leadership Conference which will be held in June.
“Our students were absolutely amazing,” said Liff. “They rose to the challenge and they won 13 state championships. It was a great day for them and a great day for the CMU Department of Business,” said Liff.
Colorado Mesa University’s chapter of Future Business Leaders of America- Phi Beta Lambda (FBLA-PBL) took nine members to compete academically in the online State Leadership Conference. The conference provides collegiate members from across the state an opportunity to compete in business-related tests, presentations and role-playing events in order to qualify for the national academic competition. Students took all tests online and presented virtually under the current restrictions associated with COVID-19.
Students from CMU took first place in the resume contest; Human Resource Management; Business Communications; Marketing, Organizational Behavior and Leadership; Entrepreneurship; Retail Management; Business Decision Making; Contemporary Sports Issues; Impromptu Speaking; Strategic Analysis and Decision Making; and Marketing Analysis and Decision Making categories.
CMU business students who qualified for nationals include Angelina DeCrow, Kaila Fox, Raymond Hamer, Victor Hellstrom, Lexis Nylund, Dillon Sandrock, Noah Stahlecker, Orlando Trujillo and Shannon Weeks.
Fox explained that the competition required CMU students to adapt with new skills and strategies because of the virtual format. She said the distance format made reading of body language and interpersonal subtleties more difficult but she managed to persevere for a first-place finish.
“We adapted and did well enough for first place,” said Fox. “We had a lot of fun and everyone did great.”
CMU President Tim Foster said that CMU business faculty have been advising FBLA-PBL for more than two decades.
"The CMU Department of Business faculty continue to go above and beyond creating real-world experiences for their students,” said Foster. “Some of our faculty have been FBLA advisors for most of their careers and the performance of our students, and the commendations they received this month, reflect that ongoing commitment to learning.”