Emily Graham wins first place at national conference

2016 Jul 27

Emily Graham of Hemingway, S.C., a junior double major in business management and accounting at Coastal Carolina University, won first place in the management concepts event from the 2016 Future Business Leaders of America-Phi Beta Lambda (FBLA-PBL) national leadership conference. The conference, which was held recently in Atlanta, Ga., holds multiple competitions, networking opportunities and national officer elections.

"I was shocked and very excited when I heard my name called for first place. I wasn't expecting it," said Graham, who received her award on the last night of the conference. "I was very grateful that God had blessed me to even attend the conference and compete, let alone win."

This award was part of a comprehensive national competitive events program that recognizes and rewards excellence in a variety of business and career-related areas.

"As I studied for my event, I found myself applying the concepts to my current job as a housekeeper for the Ridgecrest Conference Center in Black Mountain, N.C.," Graham said. "I enjoyed being able to take what I was learning and use it in real-life situations."

To be eligible to compete at the national level, Graham was required to take a test and place in the 2016 South Carolina State Leadership Conference, which was held at CCU this past April. Graham also received first place at the state conference in 2016 and won first place at the FBLA-PBL national conference for accounting in the summer of 2015.

"I plan to continue competing in other competitions at the PBL conferences," Graham said. "The competitions are fun and provide great opportunities to meet new people and travel while gaining experience."