Three students from Trinidad State Community College - Merisa Armstrong, Luis Garcia, and Erin Guymon - won first or second place in their events at the state Phi Beta Lambda (PBL) conference and will be advancing to the national PBL conference in Chicago. PBL is a business-focused student organization. The students are working to raise $3,500 to cover registration, travel, and hotel costs for the national conference through fundraisers and sponsorships from local businesses.

1. Education
Saturday, May 9, 2015 Valley Courier Page 9
By MARGARET
SANDERSON
ALAMOSA — Trinidad
State students Merisa Arm-
strong, Luis Garcia and Erin
Guymon will be moving on
to “Nationals” after winning
performancesatthestatePhi
Beta Lambda (PBL) confer-
enceheldinColoradoSprings
last month.
PBL is an education asso-
ciation for college students
whoarepreparingforcareers
in business and business-
related fields. The organiza-
tion also has a professional
division for business people.
It is organized at local, state,
andnationallevels.Students
whoearnfirstorsecondplace
inthestatecompetitiongoon
to compete at nationals.
Armstrong placed second
in Word Processing, Garcia
placed first in Web Site
Design, and Erin Guymon
placed first in Accounting
Principles.TaylorandJonah
Bollinger, two brothers in
high school who are gradu-
ating with college degrees
before they graduate high
school,arealsoPBLmembers
and they too competed at the
state conference.
Merisa Armstrong is a
proud wife and mother of
three beautiful children.
Currently, she is involved in
twoparentcommitteesinher
community: one for La Jara
Elementary and the other as
chairman for the Head Start
in Sanford. She also coaches
soccer for her son’s team. As
a full-time student, she is a
work study who helps to co-
ordinate Student Life events
and assist with the needs in
that office. Armstrong, who
has been heavily involved
with student government,
will graduate on May 8 with
her AAS in general studies
and will complete her LPN
(Licensed Practical Nurse)
this summer. She plans to
work toward a bachelor’s in
business management.
“InPBLIhavelearnedtobe
persistentwithmyquestions
as I seek answers, to rely
more upon myself than oth-
ers and I have learned from
myweaknesses.AtNationals
I’m hoping to stand on stage
in the top ten of my event,
Word Processing.”
Describedashardworking,
respectful and responsible,
Luis Garcia graduated from
Center High School with
honors. He is majoring in
business management at
Trinidad State and plans
to graduate in May 2016.
Fluent in both Spanish and
English, he worked in a gro-
cery store where he learned
how to stock, face and rotate
goods.Garciaisateamplayer
and he’s “looking forward to
meeting others with similar
interests and learning about
Chicago,” when he competes
Three TSJC Valley Campus students head to nationals
at Nationals.
ErinGuymonisgraduating
from Trinidad State May 8
with a certificate in account-
ing and an AAS (Associate of
Applied Science) in business
management. She will con-
tinue her accounting studies
atAdamsState.Inadditionto
PBL, Erin is a member of Phi
Theta Kappa (PTK) honor
society and has earned a 4.0
GPA. Sheservedaspresident
of PBL and tutored others in
the business program.
“PBL competitions are a
great opportunity for stu-
dents to test and show off
what they have learned in
class,” said Guymon. “It’s a
lotofwork,butit’salsoalotof
fun.Iwouldrecommenditfor
any student, business major
or not, because there truly
is something for everyone
to choose from at the state
competitions,somethingthey
enjoy and are good at. Win-
ning and hearing my name
called was an exhilarating
experience. I’m looking for-
ward to competing against
the best students from all
across the country. I also
grewupnotfarfromChicago,
so it will be interesting to go
back and visit.”
Nationalswilltakeplacein
Chicago from June 24 thru
27. The best and the bright-
estwillcompeteinleadership
eventsandwillnetworkwith
others about successes, new
ideas, and future careers.
Workshops and exhibits will
enhance their experience.
Resources for their travel
expenses are limited. The
club is working to raise
$3,500 to pay for their reg-
istration, travel and motel
expenses, but they will need
even more to cover inciden-
talsandmeals. Fund-raisers
thestudentshavehadtodate
include selling emergency
cell phone chargers, having
a bake sale at the Student
Government holiday party,
and selling beverages at
Casino Night. The Student
Government has allocated
some of its funds to assist
thestudents.Theyarebrain-
storming about other fund-
raising possibilities.
Local businesses can spon-
sor a student to help with ex-
penses for the PBL National
Leadership Conference in
June. In exchange students
will provide community
service for that organiza-
tion. The students will also
provide to the business a
photograph taken at a Chi-
cago landmark or conference
activity which will include a
sign stating the business’s
name. This will then be
posted on the Trinidad State
Facebook page.
To learn more about PBL,
or to sponsor a student, call
Genia Rasmussen at 589-
7052.
From left are Taylor Bollinger, Merisa Armstrong, Erin Guymon, Jonah Bollinger and Luis Garcia.
Luis Garcia with his first place award in Web Site Design
Courtesy photos by Margaret Sanderson
5-9-15 Daily pgs 1-14-Pre-Print Buttons.indd 95-9-15 Daily pgs 1-14-Pre-Print Buttons.indd 9 5/8/15 10:14 PM5/8/15 10:14 PM