Today, FALL/WINTER 2006 1 - University of the Ozarks

Call him Mr. (PBL) PresidentWilliam Faulkner was just a smallchild when he heard his motheruse the term “buddy” anddefine its meaning as someone who is afriend to everyone.“From that day on, I wanted to beknown as Buddy Faulkner,” said the seniormanagement major from Durant, Okla.“That name just seems to fit my outgoing,friendly personality perfectly. I enjoymeeting people and making friends, sowhat better name than Buddy? I even planto get my name changed legally to WilliamBuddy Faulkner after I graduate.”Buddy Faulkner used his outgoing andfriendly personality to win the election forpresident of the Arkansas Phi BetaLambda organization, an association ofcollege students preparing for careers inbusiness and business-related fields. Asstate president of PBL for the 2006-2007academic year, Faulkner oversees anorganization that represents more than 400college students from more than 40colleges and universities throughout thestate.Faulkner is the first student fromOzarks to hold the state PBL presidencyin more than 20 years.Faulkner is the firststudent from Ozarks to holdthe state PBL presidency inmore than 20 years.“We are very proud of Buddy,” saidOzarks Business Professor Dr. RobertHilton, who serves as the University’s leadadvisor for PBL. “All of our studentleaders, and in particular Buddy, havebrought great exposure to our Universityand to our business program. I think itshows people around the state and regionthat Ozarks and her students are leadersin PBL and in business education. I thinkit’s also a great benefit when Ozarks isrecruiting students who want to major in8 Today, FALL/WINTER 2006Buddy Faulknerbusiness. Buddy is a great example ofwhat students can accomplish with theirtalents and skills through the businessprogram at Ozarks.”The election was held during theassociation’s spring meeting. Faulkner hadpreviously served as vice president for thestate’s Region I District.“I just felt like I wanted to pushmyself and run for the highest office,”Faulkner said.Faulkner said he won the election by“just being myself,” and with plenty of helpfrom his U of O classmates.“When you think that we have acampus of 630 students and more than 80are in PBL, that’s a tremendouspercentage,” he said. “PBL has alwaysbeen strong here at Ozarks, and my fellowPBL members helped me a lot incampaigning and in winning the election.”Hilton said Faulkner’s out-goingpersonality paid off in the election.“Buddy is a tremendous motivator,”Hilton said. “He has the ability to connectwith his peers and can inspire them to dothings beyond what they would normallydo. He is a very likable and personableyoung man. He is also willing to take arisk.”Faulkner also serves as a fully certifiedvolunteer firefighter with the JohnsonCounty Fire Department, something hesaid allows him to give back to thecommunity.“I think it’s extremely important to giveback any way you can, and for me itmeans being a volunteer firefighter,” hesaid. “This University and this communityhave done so much for me that I want tohelp them as much as I can.”Through his association with PBL,Faulkner has also discovered he has a lovefor public speaking.“There’s just something very excitingabout speaking in front of large groups,”he said. “I would love to be a motivationalspeaker one day.”PBL National SuccessThe University’s Phi Beta Lambdaorganization had one of its bestshowings ever in the nationalcompetition during the 2006 FBLA-PBLNational Leadership Conference inNashville, Tenn., in June. Ozarks earnedthe Gold Seal Chapter Award of Meritand placed second in the SouthernRegion in total membership with 102.Ozarks also had three first-placewinners: Shandy Russell in BusinessCommunications, Christina Irigoyen inInformation Management, and KarlaSosa in International Business.