MECC Student Titus Houston Places Eighth in National Competition

 

Big Stone Gap — Mountain Empire Community College is pleased to announce that Paralegal Studies student Titus Houston placed eighth in the nation at the 2015 Future Business Leaders of America-Phi Beta Lambda (FBLA-PBL) competition.

More than 1,600 of America’s best and brightest college students traveled to Chicago June 24-27 to showcase their talents as future business leaders and vie for the opportunity to win more than $81,000 in cash awards in 55 business and business-related competitive events.

Houston, who participated in the Phi Beta Lambda’s Business Law competition, endured a grueling 60-minute onsite objective test and a role play where participants were given a real-world interactive case scenario that dealt with topics such as torts, contracts, ethics, etc. “The activities were rigorous, but fun,” said Houston. “The 60 minute online test was challenging and the real world scenarios are always interesting due to the random prompt as well as the intensity of competition.”

Houston said the coursework and instruction at MECC definitely prepared him for a national-level competition. He credits his instructors, Beth Snodgrass and Jane Jones, for helping him reach his potential. His friends, family, and MECC Counselor Beth Boggs were also great sources of support during the competition.

“While 8th place may not seem like a big deal, to know only seven other people scored higher than you truly is an adrenaline rush while on stage,” Houston said.

“I could not be prouder of Titus! His hard work and diligence really paid off!” added Beth Snodgrass, Professor of Paralegal Studies and one of MECC’s PBL faculty sponsors.

Houston plans on going into the army as a paralegal specialist after obtaining his Associate degree in Business Administration from MECC. He says he is also considering working in the paralegal field in Virginia and a goal to earn his Bachelor’s degree in pre-law.

The Phi Beta Lamda award was part of a comprehensive national competitive events program sponsored by FBLA-PBL that recognizes and rewards excellence in a broad range of business and career-related areas. For many students, the competitive events are the capstone activity of their academic careers. In addition to the competitions, students immersed themselves in educational workshops, visited an information-packed exhibit hall, and attended motivational keynotes on a broad range of business topics.

The Future Business Leaders of America-Phi Beta Lambda, Inc., the largest and oldest student business organization, is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) education association with a quarter million members and advisers in over 6,500 active middle school, high school, and college chapters worldwide. Its mission is to bring business and education together in a positive working relationship through innovative leadership and career development programs. The association is headquartered in Reston, Virginia, just outside of Washington, D.C. 

For more information on MECC’s Business Programs, visit the college’s website at www.mecc.edu or contact the Business & Information Technology division at 276.523.2400 ext. 462.