Snead State Community College Phi Beta Lambda students recently returned from a three-day trip to New York City to attend the Second Annual PBL Career Connections Conference.
Each year 300-plus top college and university students from across North America convene in Manhattan for the PBL Career Connections Conference, a fast paced, high-impact program focused on connecting talented individuals with leading employers. Snead State was well represented with 12 students and two faculty advisers attending.
“The Career Connections Conference in New York City gives such great opportunities for students in college. I loved getting to meet other students from different chapters and see old friends I had met last year! One of my favorite parts of the trip was when we went and saw Phantom of the Opera and rushed to the back of the building to get our Playbooks signed. It was a trip I’ll never forget,” said Nora Pettry of Guntersville.
“(I am) extremely grateful for the opportunity given by Snead and PBL to go to New York with a great group of people! I enjoyed networking and getting to meet other college students at the reception. My favorite part about the trip was definitely the 9/11 Museum! Along with walking on the Brooklyn Bridge and Times Square,” Juana Mendez of Albertville said.
The group attended a networking reception, toured the IBM and American Express Headquarters, attended a Broadway show, and experienced many other NYC attractions. Some of the most memorable experiences include the Statue of Liberty, Wall Street, the Brooklyn Bridge, Central Park, Times Square, the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, Grand Central Station, and ice skating at Rockefeller Center.
Of the 12 students, this was the first time to fly for five of them and the first time to visit NYC for eight of them.
“I’m so thankful that PBL provided me with this awesome opportunity to travel to NYC!! I quickly learned the slogan ‘the city that never sleeps’ is definitely accurate,” said Presley Collins of Arab.
Izzy Watts of Arab said, “I want to thank PBL and Snead for allowing me to go on this incredible trip! Some of my favorite parts were seeing the Statue of Liberty, the 9/11 memorial and museum, and seeing Phantom of the Opera. This is a trip of a lifetime, and I am so grateful that I was able to go and experience the city. It was also amazing to be able to go in and see multi-billion dollar businesses like IBM and American Express.”
“The PBL trip to New York was such an amazing experience! I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to tour some of the real world major businesses in New York City! Other than visiting IBM, my favorite part of the trip was getting the chance to see Mean Girls on Broadway with my classmates!” Gracie Muncher of Alexandria said.
Students who attended the Career Connections Conference were Austin Byars of Union Grove, Brenda Barrera of Albertville, Brenda Sanchez of Guntersville, Bruce Evans of Boaz, Gracie Muncher of Alexandria, Izzy Watts of Arab, Juana Mendez of Albertville, Maggie Cortez of Albertville, Nora Pettry of Guntersville, PJ Watts of Geraldine, Presley Collins of Arab and Ulani Figuero of Albertville. Snead State Instructors Vann Scott and Meredith Jackson accompanied the group.
Future Business Leaders of America-Phi Beta Lambda, Inc. (FBLA-PBL) is the largest career student business organization in the world. Each year, FBLA-PBL helps over 230,000 members prepare for careers in business. The purpose of PBL is to provide opportunities for postsecondary students to develop business-related career competencies. PBL is an integral part of the instructional program and in addition promotes a sense of civic and personal responsibility.
The PBL Career Connections Conference is not just a meet and greet conference; it’s about getting what it takes to succeed in a challenging job market—interviewing techniques, building your personal brand, and navigating your early career. In addition to sessions, participants get face time with today’s best brands through hosted tours.