On March 20-23, members from Pasco Hernando State College’s Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) club attended the State Leadership Conference held in Orlando. The event, which was held at the Doubletree SeaWorld, saw various Bobcats win awards over the weekend.
These honors ranged from winning the Rob Kelleher Scholar Award to nabbing silver for cybersecurity to placing fourth in Organizational Leadership and Management. On April 3, PHSC announced that the college and its students won or placed in 14 different categories.
Curtis Scaglione, FBLA club advisor for West Campus and assistant professor for information technology programs at PHSC, was awarded Advisor of the Year in March. He credited the state college’s strong staff and students for the impressive showing in
Orlando.
“So many students in technology, business, accounting, and public speaking categories do especially well, year after year,” said Scaglione. “A lot of this is the hard work and dedication of our students, but a part of their journey is the amazing faculty they interact with and learn from […] As Dr. Pisors often reminds us, what is most important is what happens in the classroom, and we begin to see that idea and spirit spread in moments like these.”
According to the FBLA, these recognitions “ensure a path” for these students to be able to qualify for the National competition. The comprehensive list of recognitions achieved by the Bobcats’ FBLA squad includes:
The Rob Kelleher Scholar Award was won by student Emmalise Feliciano
Student and DBOT Student Representative Krista Knowles was honored as the Christopher Heider Scholar
Pasco-Hernando State College was named Chapter of the Year and the Gold Seal Recipient
Adviser of the Year was awarded to Curtis Scaglione, PHSC West Campus Advisor
First Place for State of the Chapter – won by students Emmalise Feliciano, Caleb Grossenbacher and Kiara Carlos
Second Place awarded for Business Communications – won by student Krista Knowles
Second Place awarded for Computer Applications – won by student Kevin Backitis
Second Place awarded for Cybersecurity – won by student Kevin Backitis
Second Place awarded for Future Business Leaders Executive – won by student Emmalise Feliciano
Second Place for Impromptu Speaking won by student Michael Widman
Student Matthew Gerlack snagged third place for Computer Applications
Student Isabella Vullo took fourth place for Job Interviews
Student Michael Widman placed fourth for Organizational Leadership and Management
The Future Business Leaders of America began conceptually in 1937, their website noted, before the first official chapter was chartered in Johnson City, Tennessee in 1942. The first collegiate chapter began at Iowa State University in 1958.
The organization is not only the largest such group in the world, the website continued, but they aid over 230,000 students from middle school to college prepare for careers in the field of business as well.
The organization’s mission statement reads: “FBLA inspires and prepares students to become community-minded business leaders in a global society through relevant career preparation and leadership experiences.”
Stayed tuned for the Sun’s coverage on PHSC and the rest of Hernando County’s academic institutions moving forward.
