Student Life

Nash Community College Future Business Leaders Win State Awards

Nash Community College’s Phi Beta Lambda (PBL) business organization received chapter and individual honors at the 59th Annual North Carolina Phi Beta Lambda State Leadership Conference held recently in Charlotte. Computer Information Technologies students Andrea Hill, Ruby Leak and Travis Smith, Accounting student James Ford, Advertising and Graphic Design student David Watts and co-advisors Chris Morgan, Computer Information Technologies Department, and Instructor Nakisha Floyd represented the College at the conference.

The group brought home first place in the Free Enterprise category for their involvement in the Communities in Schools annual Financial Literacy Retreat hosted at Nash Community College in October. At the retreat, PBL members assisted in teaching area seventh graders personal financial responsibility. NCC was also recognized as Chapter of the Year in the professional division for recruiting the most new professional division members and earned the Terry Lowrance Leadership Award for participating in various activities throughout the year.

NCC placed first in the eastern region for professional division chapter affiliation membership, second place in the professional division for membership, second place in the eastern region for largest percentage increase in chapter student membership, third place among the eastern region for the largest increase in chapter membership. The NCC chapter also received recognition for professional division membership recruitment and was awarded the Membership Madness Award for new chapter member recruitment.

First place in North Carolina for Database Design and Applications was awarded to Travis Smith of Louisburg. Andrea Hill, of Rocky Mount, received fourth place in the state for Networking Concepts. Ruby Leak, of Rocky Mount, was awarded sixth place for job interview. Accounting student James Ford of Spring Hope placed eighth for Accounting principles. Both, Leak and Ford were recognized in the Who’s Who in North Carolina category. All five NCC chapter representatives were awarded certificates for completing the leadership development program.

Phi Beta Lambda is an organization open to all curriculum students who are interested in business. The organization gives students the opportunity to develop leadership, communication and business skills to assist them in furthering their careers. PBL connects business students with business contacts and local business leaders. It also gives students the chance to compete with other students from across the state and nation for recognition as top students in a variety of business-related topics. PBL assists students by enhancing their résumés with leadership opportunities and award recognition.

NCC students Ruby Leak and Travis Smith, along with their advisors, will travel to Anaheim, California later this month to present at the 2013 National Leadership Conference.

Pictured above from left: Accounting student James Ford, Advisor Chris Morgan, Advertising and Graphic Design student David Watts, Computer Information Technologies student Travis Smith, Computer Information Technologies student Ruby Leak, Computer Information Technologies student Andrea Hill and Advisor Nakisha Floyd.