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Archived News
2008
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DSU and DSU PBL Host FBLA State Fall Leadership Conference Dakota State University and DSU Phi Beta Lambda hosted over 300 high school students from across the state on Monday, October 20, for the FBLA State Fall Leadership Conference. The conference gave FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) members opportunities to network with one another, discuss ideas for projects and activities in their chapters, and attend workshops designed to bolster their awareness of the overall FBLA-PBL organization and promote their involvement at all levels, high school, state and national. DSU Associate Professor and SD PBL State Advisor Dan Talley said, “With over 250,000 members across the United States, these students from high-schools large and small across the state begin to realize that they are part of something a lot bigger than themselves. And as they attend conferences like this one at the state level, and later the regional and national conferences throughout the year, the students become more and more aware of the full extent of the FBLA-PBL network. Because FBLA is an organization that puts as much emphasis on character and values as it does on academic achievement and business acumen, the students have a real opportunity to grow and mature that is difficult to match.” The day began with a welcome from DSU President Jerry Tunheim, followed by address by SD PBL State President Heather Hall, and DSU PBL Chapter President Jennie Patrick. Included in the morning session was keynote speaker Stephanie Herseth, who ran unsuccessfully against William Janklow for the lone South Dakota Congressional seat in 2002. Ms. Herseth outlined some of the challenges South Dakota currently faces and encouraged the students to be part of the solution as future business professionals. FBLA State President Abby Kroupa, a senior at Kimball High School, and the FBLA state officer team conducted the business of the day for the hundreds of members, officers, and advisers. “As a six-year PBL chapter adviser and the recently elected SD PBL State Adviser, I must say that I have rarely seen a more professional group of student leaders. I was very impressed with these dedicated and charismatic students,” said Talley. The general meeting was followed by workshops presented by FBLA advisers and PBL club members. One of the more creative workshops featured a fashion show of professional business dress code ‘do’s and don’ts’. Later in the day every student hunted through the state and national FBLA-PBL websites during an Internet ‘scavenger hunt’ to learn more about the organization. “Hosting this conference gave DSU a chance to show off some of our best assets including the campus, the PBL student members, including some who are former FBLA-ers, and our high-speed computer network,” stated Talley. “But most of all,” he continued, “it was a chance for them to find out what it really means to be a future business professional in FBLA-PBL. And there was no better example set than that of their own FBLA state officer team.” |
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