As a high school student, Brandon Rodgers was involved in the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), an organization that worked to bring education and business knowledge to students. When he graduated from high school, the now freshman business management major knew he did not want to stop there.

Last semester, Rodgers founded Point Park’s chapter of Phi Beta Lambda (PBL) and heads the organization as the president.

“Phi Beta Lambda is the collegiate version of Future Business Leaders of America,” Rodgers said. “I was actively involved for a few years and wanted to continue that no matter what college I went to.”

PBL was created in September and now has about 35 members. Rodgers says that he plans to expand the organization’s reach by recruiting new members throughout the semester.

In terms of membership recruiting and visibility on campus, Assistant Coordinator of Student Involvement Kate Shipley says that Phi Beta Lambda is the most successful new club she has seen during her time at Point Park.

“I think that this could be a really sustainable organization for them,” Shipley said. “On this campus specifically, I think that they not only have upstanding values, but I think they also really connect with Point Park’s mission to be professionally based.”

The organization, though centered around bringing business and education together, gives an opportunity for students of any major to network and fine-tune professional skills. The organization also does a large amount of community service, according to PBL Reporter and sophomore human resource management major Andrew Secrest.

“When I originally joined, I didn’t realize how much it was about giving back,” Secrest said. “Though it’s about us having fun and networking, it’s a lot about doing as much community service as we can, which I think is important to any career field.”

All PBL chapters around the country are celebrating the organization and its work by hosting Phi Beta Lambda Week from Feb. 6-11. Point Park’s chapter kicked off the celebration with a dodgeball tournament in the Student Center on Monday.

“We chose a dodgeball tournament as a way to engage the entire school,” Rodgers said. “We wanted teams of students from different backgrounds, from different majors. It’s not just open to students, it’s also open to faculty and staff.”

On Tuesday, PBL hosted a recruitment day, where members of the club set up in West Penn and Lawrence Hall lobbies, handing out PBL gear as well as coffee and donuts.

Throughout the day on Wednesday, PBL will be recognizing faculty and staff members who are “unnoticed or under-appreciated.” Honorees will be given gift bags and a certificate of appreciation from the organization.

“We want to make them feel appreciated and let them know the students here actually care about them,” Rodgers said.

The remainder of Phi Beta Lambda week is packed with other activities on campus such as the career fair, member appreciation day and a leadership brunch.

Any student who wishes to join PBL is encouraged to contact Rodgers at [email protected]. An application for membership will then be completed and dues must be paid to the organization.