CLEVELAND, Miss.—Delta State University’s Phi Beta Lambda (PBL) Chapter had its best year to date during the Mississippi State Leadership Conference, bringing home a total of 13 awards, including 9 first place finishes.
PBL is an organization of young people preparing for success as leaders in business, government, and communities. This year’s annual state conference was hosted virtually Feb. 24-26 and featured students from six schools across the state.
Delta State’s team of 10 had several students rank in the competition, with winners advancing to the national competition scheduled to be hosted virtually in June.
Those placing during the competition included:
Synethia Mathews, Computer Information Systems & Marketing dual major: first place, Project Management; and first place, Emerging Business Issues
Zac Bozeman, Business Administration major: first place, Retail Management; and first place, Justice Administration
Alexis Rover, Elementary Education major: first place, Job Interview; and first place, Business Presentation
Jordan Drayton, Computer Information Systems major: first place, Organizational Behavior and Leadership; and third place, Project Management
Jasmine Evans, Psychology major: first place, Emerging Business Issues; and second place, Sales Presentation.
Davontre Henderson, Sports Management major & Marketing minor: first place, Entrepreneurial Concepts
Amyia Triggs, Speech Pathology major: first place, Personal Finance
Tamarcus Hemphill, Accounting major: second place, Marketing Concepts
Malik Fulton, Accounting major: third place, Accounting Principles
In addition, Rover and Henderson were inducted into the Mississippi Phi Beta Lambda Hall of Fame for winning a national title last year.
“I am extremely proud and excited for the DSU Phi Beta Lambda Chapter,” said Dr. Tomeka Harbin, DSU’s PBL adviser, and chair and associate professor of management in the College of Business and Aviation.
“These awesome students, who represent multiple disciplines at DSU, have once again performed with excellence and have represented our university phenomenally. I never get tired of bragging about their accomplishments because they dedicate their time and efforts to successful competitions both on the state and national level.”
Pictured during the 2020 Mississippi State Leadership Conference were DSU PBL members (front row, from left) Synethia Mathews, Jasmine Evans (second row) Ciara Thompson, Jordan Drayton, Alexis Rover, Tamarcus Hemphill (third row) Eli Inman, Davontre Henderson, Todd Moore, Zane Samuel, Peyton Chambers (back row) Malik Fulton, Zak Bozeman, and adviser Dr. Tomeka Harbin.
Mathews, who serves as the president of Delta State’s PBL chapter said competing virtually was a big adjustment for the team.
“This was the first time Mississippi Phi Beta Lambda hosted the conference virtually which led to a lot of last-minute updates and changes that we had to adjust to,” shared Mathews. “Instead of gathering to prepare like we have done in previous years, this led us to rely on e-mail, texting, GroupMe and Zoom.”
Despite the unforeseen challenges, which included an unexpected winter storm, Mathews said she’s proud that the team was able to prevail.
“Through all of the changes, our competitors did not give up! They persevered and exceled, and they deserve all of the acknowledgments and ‘congratulations’ for their amazing efforts,” she said.
Boseman, who serves as the vice president for Delta State’s PBL, said he’s also proud of the team’s hard work.
“There are not many people that know all of the work it requires to pay for competition, organize the small details and meet our community service goals in Cleveland,” he said.
“However, no one ever complained or had a negative attitude, and I think that is what makes this group special. They desire to serve their community and school, and that is a rare and valuable trait in college students; we just happen to have an entire group of them, and I am proud to compete and serve alongside them.”
The team also credits the support of Harbin and the College of Business & Aviation as well as their sponsor, Delta Nutrition of Cleveland, for their success.
“Without them, none of our success is possible,” said Bozeman. “They work hard to ensure our success and direction of our organization.”
Mathews said the team is excited about what’s to come.
“Proud is an understatement of how I feel towards the PBL members. They took initiative and handled business. Our hard work definitely paid off,” she said. “I can’t wait to see what nationals holds for us this summer!”
Phi Beta Lambda is the collegiate division of the Future Business Leaders of America-Phi Beta Lambda, Inc.
To learn more about the organization, visit www.fbla-pbl.org.
