Webber Brings Home Top State FBLA Honors

Babson Park, FL. (March 25, 2025)- Over the course of four days in Orlando at this year’s Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) State Leadership Conference (SLC) in March, twenty-five Webber International University students, led by FBLA Advisor, Associate MBA Graduate Dean, Honors Director, and Associate Professor & Chair of Accounting, Dr. Joanne Muniz, brought home top club and individual honors in 12 categories, and over $1,100 in prize money! Kicking off the event was a keynote address by Florida State Representative Danny Alvarez. Representative Alvarez spoke to this year’s conference attendees about the importance of finding your why, having mentors throughout one’s life, and creating a network of individuals who can help you as you make your way into the business world. Students were able to put this advice to work as they embarked on local business tours presented by Withum Group, Visit Orlando, Hilton Orlando, and SeaWorld, and partook in a business roundtable of professionals from various industries.

               This year’s students competed in over 30 individual objective tests, individual presentations, group presentations, group projects and case studies. These events serve as qualifiers, providing members the opportunity to secure a coveted spot to represent the State of Florida and Webber at the FBLA National Leadership Conference (NLC), which will take place in Dallas, TX, in May. Webber’s FBLA chapter received 1^st place in Community Service Project presented by Michelina Arrigo, Thea Roque, and Kornel Szabo, was acknowledged for having the Largest Chapter Membership in the state, and received the Pansy B. Read Gold Seal Chapter Award of Merit, which recognizes Florida chapters that have identified with the goals of FBLA through their chapter activities and projects (FBLA-PBL, n.d.).

Winners at this year’s SLC were the teams of Joshua Carr and Bryce Gerber for Accounting Case Study, 3^rd place; Alina Bruhlmeier and Holly Tyrrell who received 1^st place in Finance Case Study; Janis Dobelis, Haley Leavines, and Taylor Richardson, 1^st place in Hospitality Case Study; and the team of Victor Becerra, Juan Bernal, and Juan Putullaz who received 4^th place in Management Case Study. The team of Adriana Campero and Daniel Diaz took home 1^st place in Business Presentation, Luis Jarrin who placed 4^th in the Cybersecurity individual objective test, and Kornel Szabo who placed 1^st in Sports Management and Marketing, 2^nd place in International Business, and 3^rd place in Supply Chain individual objective tests.

               Webber is proud of our FBLA students’ competitive efforts as they grow their confidence and business acumen while progressing through their academic careers toward becoming tomorrow’s business leaders! Join us in wishing those students well who will be traveling to the FBLA NCL in May!

FBLA-PBL. (n.d.). Pansy B. Read Gold Seal Chapter Award of Merit [Organizational website]. https://www.floridafbla-pbl.com/fbla-event-pansy-b-read-gold-seal-chapter-award#:~:text=The%20Pansy%20B.,the%20goals%20of%20FBLA%2FPBL.