Two members of the Phi Beta Lambda (PBL) business club at Missouri State University-West Plains (MSU-WP) placed in competitions at organization’s 2020 National Leadership Experience.

The conference and competitions were held virtually June 24-26 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Angelia Ashberger, West Plains, placed first in Client Service and fifth in Organizational Behavior and Leadership.

Isrrael Jimenez, West Plains, formerly of Providence Village, Texas, placed third in Networking Concepts and sixth in Computer Concepts.

Students who placed in the top 10 of each event received medals at the end of July, according to Associate Professor of Economics Dr. Ed Birdyshaw, who serves as the local chapter’s faculty adviser.

Students from PBL chapters at two-year and four-year institutions across the country competed in the events, Birdyshaw added.

Qualified at state

Ashberger and Jimenez qualified for the national competitions by placing in the top three of their competitions at the Missouri PBL Leadership Conference in April. This event also was held virtually due to COVID-19.

“We are very proud of Angelia and Isrrael for their strong performance in the national and state competitions,” Birdyshaw said.

“We are also proud and inspired by the hard work of our chapter’s president, Cynthia Peak, and vice president, Angelia Ashberger, to maintain all club activities during a very challenging and unpredictable year,” he added.

PBL is a career and technical student organization that includes divisions at the middle school, high school, collegiate and professional levels in all 50 states.

For more information about PBL, contact Birdyshaw at 417-255-7727 or ebirdyshaw@missouristate.edu.