Asheley Thomas of Boaz recently brought home two state honors from the Phi Beta Lambda State Conference held March 20–21 at the University of Pikeville.Phi Beta Lambda (PBL) is a nonprofit educational association of post secondary students preparing for careers in business and business-related fields. Thomas, a student at West Kentucky Community and Technical College, placed first in the macroeconomics and third in the microeconomics categories. She is now eligible to attend the National PBL conference in Chicago, Ill, this summer.
WKCTC’s Phi Beta Lambda chapter also placed first in the largest number increase in membership category and second place in the largest percentage increase in membership, said PBL advisor and WKCTC professor Tiffinee Morgan.
This is the second year Thomas has taken home state PBL honors. She placed second in management concepts last year. Still Thomas said she wasn’t 100 percent confident she would place again this year. “I didn’t want to jinx myself,” she said, “But I was moderately confident.”
A 1997 St. Mary High School graduate, Thomas earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in ecology and evolutionary biology from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville before coming to West Kentucky. A business administration major at West Kentucky, Thomas wants to earn a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree and plans to transfer to Morehead University to complete that degree. She and her husband, Allen, have one son.
Thomas said participating in the competition like the state PBL not only builds confidence but for nontraditional students like her, it can also open up opportunities.
“I felt like it would be a great opportunity to network, especially at the nationals. You never know if someone you meet there could be somebody who might send you an email to let you know they’re hiring and might put in a good word for you,” Thomas said. “Plus it looks really good on your resume.”