Learning to adapt is a valuable business skill. Adapting is just what Associate Professor of Marketing and Phi Beta Lambda advisor, professor Patsy Taylor, and her students did to yield successful results at this year’s Phi Beta Lambda (PBL) competition. The annual North Carolina PBL conference they had eagerly prepared for all year was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Thankfully PBL leaders created a virtual conference giving students the opportunity to compete and test their business skills. On Saturday, April 25th, Jarod Curley, Brianna Johnson, and Lavonda Mitchell joined the virtual conference competing against students in the PBL chapters from across the state.  These students represented Chowan well in this on-line format with Curly placing 2nd in Project Management and 3rd in Future Business Executive.  Johnson ranked 4th in Marketing Concepts and Mitchell placed 7th in both Management Concepts and Organizational Behavior and Leadership.

Phi Beta Lambda is the collegiate level of Future Business Leaders of America.  The aim of PBL is to provide students with career and leadership preparation for the business world.  Jarod Curly embraced Chowan’s PBL opportunities for networking and leadership and credits his  “affiliation as my chance to show my passion for the business world.” 

The Chowan PBL chapter ranked well during the virtual conference receiving three first-place recognitions in the Eastern region for the largest local chapter, the largest increase in membership, and the largest percentage increase in local chapter membership. In addition to regional recognition, Chowan’s PBL placed statewide receiving accolades as a Gold Star Chapter and placing first with the largest increase in local chapter membership.  The awards continued with Chowan placing second and third for the largest percentage increase and largest local chapter.  

Perhaps the strength of Chowan’s twenty-four member chapter stems from consistent leadership. Professor Taylor has been the advisor for twenty-seven years. In 2013, Taylor was awarded the North Carolina PBL Outstanding Advisor Award at the annual NCPBL State Leadership Conference.  

Taylor who energetically leads the chapter with  creative fundraisers and service opportunities is not someone, as she says, that “likes to toot her own horn.”  Instead, Professor Taylor finds her reward with the students and says that the “highlight of being an advisor is watching them develop personally and professionally.”  This is what motivates her as a teacher and advisor to help students adapt and succeed.  Congratulations to Professor Taylor and PBL students!