Lynda Seneff, a Weber State University student and Ogden-Weber Applied Technology College educator, took first place in the national Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) competition.
“Lynda has just been recognized as the best of that organization,” said Angela Christensen, the WSU collegiate FBLA advisor, via email. “She understands the fabulous opportunity that this organization can provide to her students and will be an excellent advisor.”
Seneff currently teaches at the Ogden-Weber Applied Technology College. In preparing for their own competitions, her students would ask her if she had ever participated in competitions. Realizing she had not, Seneff turned to her Weber State professors to help her get involved.
She has participated in FBLA competitions both state-wide and nation-wide for the past three years. Placing in the top ten every year, she was thrilled to take first place this year.
“For years I have worked with students in various competitions,” Seneff said. “I think it is important for students to take outside of the classroom what they have learned in the classroom, so I decided I would go into that arena myself. ”
Seneff believes that it is very important for students to participate in competitions because it gives them real-world experiences. It proves to them that what they are learning will not go to waste once they graduate.
Patrick Beck, a cyber security major at WSU, also placed at the top. He took second place individually in cyber security. In addition to his individual award, he placed second with a team in network design.
For the cyber security competition, Beck had to complete a highly technical multiple choice test about cyber security.
In the network design competition, Beck and his partner, fellow WSU student Calee Christensen, were required to take a test. Teams that completed the test in the top ten went on to the second part of the competition.
During the second section of the network design competition, Beck and his partner had to create a network and present it to a board of judges.
Part of their presentation was a question and answer period that tested their knowledge of the inner workings of the network they had created. They had to prove that they truly knew every little aspect of network creation.
“I am interested in all aspects of computer security, so that was really fun for me.” said Beck. “FBLA is relevant because there is a very wide range of topics.”
The Weber State chapter of FBLA has been active since the 1970’s. The goal of FBLA is to provide leadership opportunities to every student who participates. Many of the high school business teachers in Utah have graduated from WSU’s FBLA program.
Many organizations on Weber State’s campus provided support for the FBLA competition. Among those contributors were the Deans of the College of Applied Science and Technology and the Goddard School of Business and Economics.
“The students who join the chapter quickly realize the potential in themselves. When students succeed in the FBLA-PBL competition, it validates their education,” Christensen said. “When they are on stage in front of 1800 of their peers, peers that represent the top winners from schools all over the country, they know that their education at Weber State is excellent.”
