College of Business classroom during class discussion

Competitions

Victory at the highest levels

Valpo students have made quite a name for themselves at national competitions, which bring together the most talented students from the most prestigious business programs in the country.

Over the last few years, Valpo students have won several national and international competitions, including the SAP National Marketing Innovators Competition, which the Valpo team won in its first year as a competitor.

Valpo competitors also excelled at the Collegiate DECA conference, where eight students placed in the top ten in their events internationally.

College of Business students have recently decided to focus their efforts on the competitions offered through Future Business Leaders of America – Phi Beta Lambda (FBLA-PBL), and their work was quickly rewarded.  In 2013, the Valpo FBLA-PBL team earned its first national championship.

FBLA-PBL is the largest professional business organization in the United States, and hundreds of colleges and universities send their top students to compete.

To be invited to the national competitions in the summer, students must win state-wide competitions in the spring. Valpo students spend the entire academic year training, with veteran team members teaching younger students how to excel in their events.

In addition to the cash prizes and resume-boosting honors that winners receive, FBLA-PBL members also benefit from networking and professional development opportunities at the conferences they attend.

Six members of Valpo’s FBLA-PBL competed at the National Leadership Conference in Anaheim, Calif.

Competing against 3,000 students from schools across the country, Valpo FBLA-PBL earned its first national championship.

Several team members also won top national awards.

#2 in Statistical Analysis: Ryan Piaskowy
#8 in Statistical Analysis: Paul Yox
#1 in Database Design: Ryan Piaskowy
#10 in Public Speaking: Micaela Johnston