Coastal Carolina University's chapter of the Society for the Advancement of Management (SAM) was recently awarded first place for medium sized chapters in the Campus Chapter Performance Program at the Society for the Advancement of Management's annual international conference held recently in St. Augustine, Fla.

Coastal business majors who were presented with Regional Outstanding Student Awards were Misty Pendergraft, a senior from Lake City; Christopher Langley, a senior from Alexandria, Va.; Melissa Brumble, a senior from Dillion; and Eric Michel, a senior from Murrells Inlet. Michel and Pendergraft were also among only 15 students nationwide who were chosen as Outstanding National Student Award winners. Langley, Joshua Barr, a senior from Reston, Va.; and Robert Camp, a senior from Mrytle Beach, also competed with 33 other teams in the annual case competition.

Coastal's chapter of SAM was chartered in 1998, and has grown from 13 members in 1998 to 33 in 2000. The organization's goals this past year were to focus on professional development of its student members. Over the past several months, students have participated in business dining etiquette sessions in cooperation with Horry-Georgetown Technical College, professional dress seminars in cooperation with Belk, and resume writing and personal budgeting seminars on the Coastal campus, as well as coordinated the applications of over 41 students to a invitation-only careers conference in Atlanta. Several students have been hired by major companies as a result of this intense effort on the part of club members. Leadership for the club this year was provided by Barr, president; Elanit Hasas, a junior from Myrtle Beach, vice president; Langley, treasurer; Angela Buffkin, a senior from Murrells Inlet, secretary; Pendergraft, fund-raising chair; and Michel, communications chair.

"Students are beginning to see the real payoffs that they can obtain from being active in a major professional organization," said Darla Domke-Damonte, adviser for the club and assistant professor of management at Coastal.

The mission of SAM is to provide an opportunity for the members to increase management skills and expertise through participation in programs and services designed to improve the professional quality of their knowledge, performance, and leadership ability.

For more information, contact Domke-Damonte at 349-2129.