Three Lebanon Valley College students placed in the top 10 of their events at the Future Business Leaders of America National Leadership Conference held in Florida in June.

Tyler Hartl ’24 placed first in Foundations of Entrepreneurship, a test that gauges students’ understanding of the legal, financial, marketing, and leadership aspects necessary to successfully run one’s own business. Hartl prepared by studying differing formats of business models, each of their advantages and disadvantages, along with taxation and accounting principles that would be relevant.

“Traveling and competing at the NLC was a fantastic experience. My favorite part was meeting new people who each had their passions inside and outside the business realm. There were plenty of means for networking that felt organic,” said Hartl, a triple major in Business Administration, International Business, and Marketing.

“The NLC also provided several workshops that I attended that reaffirmed my career and entrepreneurial readiness. The speakers had many insights into industries or advice on how to approach navigating through one’s career. Finding out I was a national champion on stage is a moment I won’t soon forget, and it was another wonderful experience to end my undergraduate experience,” added Hartl.

Shelly Bliss ’27, D’29 competed in two categories at the conference. Bliss finished first in Foundations of Communications, an objective test covering multiple topics, ranging from appropriate means of internal business communication to etiquette related to interculture communication and even complex grammar edits. She placed second in Impromptu Speaking, a public speaking contest that involves having 10 minutes to formulate a 5-minute speech on a randomly selected business topic and present the speech to a panel of judges.

“For Impromptu Speaking, I practiced many times by giving myself a random topic and challenging myself to speak on it for a full five minutes in a well-structured speech,” said Bliss. “I also credit my preparation for this contest to my experience in numerous public speaking contests through FBLA and the National FFA Organization in high school and in the spaces that I have challenged myself to continue developing this skill at LVC, namely events as a Valley Blue Coat.”

Bliss was proud to represent LVC on a national stage and appreciates the opportunity to travel.

“As a Physical Therapy student, I am incredibly grateful for the way I have been supported by the Business Department as I pursue my interests and passions through FBLA. I am motivated to bring back what I have learned at the National Conference to the chapter and hopefully encourage more members to attend conferences,” said Bliss.

Cashana Cooper ’24 placed ninth in the Management Case Competition where students review a case study and present their findings to a panel of judges. Case studies may include aspects of management such as financial management, decision making, business law, sustainability, human resource management, organizational behavior, and business development and planning.

Cooper received a bachelor’s degree in business administration and international business in May.