With more than 16,000 students in attendance and $81,000 in cash scholarships up for grabs, College of the Canyons students shined brightly on the big stage at the Future Business Leaders of America-Phi Beta Lambda national conference held in Chicago from June 24-27.

At an event in which participants from across the country showcase their talents in 55 business and business-related competitive events, COC brought home two National Championships and saw a total of eight students place in the top ten nationally for their respective categories.

Some notable performances include the first-place efforts of COC students Paul Dezso and Jonathan Maxwell, who each captured $700 scholarships in addition to being named National Champions.

Dezso’s victory in the Business Law category required a demonstrated mastery of the basic principles through a case analysis presented to a panel of judges.

Maxwell, who competed in the Cyber Security category, was recognized for his demonstrated knowledge of the physical and online security of computer networks..

Robert Brennan, Lindsey Stoneman and Sandy SY took second place for their teamwork and a $100 scholarship in the field of Strategic Analysis and Decision Making.

Meanwhile Allison Silver and Stoneman collaborated to take fourth place and $100 in scholarship money for their work in Business Decision Making.

Miranda Gerda, Johnzel Iniba and Sy placed tenth in the Management Analysis and Decision Making category, with Brennan and teammate Dana Levine acting as local chapter voting delegates in the election of national officers.

In addition to the competitive events, students attended educational workshops, visited an information-packed exhibit hall and listened to motivational keynote presentations on a broad range of business topics.

During the trip, the group was also able to visit the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, Millennium Park and the Navy Pier.

FBLA-PBL is the largest and oldest student business organization in the world, with a quarter million members and advisers in over 6,500 active middle school, high school, and college chapters worldwide. The organization is dedicated to its mission of bringing business and education together with innovative leadership and career development programs.

For more information about the College of the Canyons Business Leaders of America-Phi Beta Lambda (FBLA-PBL) please visit www.canyons.edu/Departments/bus/FBLA.