Several American Marketing Association chapters journeyed to UW-Whitewater, but a pair of students from Florida International University traveled almost 1,500 miles to attend.

Senior Angela Gers and junior Gabe Noboa said the Whitewater AMA chapter is one of the best in the country, and that they wanted to implement what they learned with their own chapter.

They said it was nice to make friends with their competitors.

“We know how impressive Whitewater’s chapter is and wanted to know how they operate,” Noboa said. “The conference was well structured and there was a lot of good energy here; I look forward to coming back.”

Noboa said he loved meeting people from around Wisconsin.

“I felt comfortable here and liked how professional the setting was; this was an incredible experience,” Noboa said.

Gers said her favorite part about coming to UW-Whitewater was meeting the students.

“I loved how the students went above and beyond to make us feel welcome; I will definitely make the trip next year without a doubt,” Gers said.

Gers participated in the sales competition and made it to the second round of judging. She said the process was nerve wracking, but gave her valuable experience.

“This was a great chance for us to learn from Whitewater and the atmosphere was incredible,” Gers said. “This experience gives me confidence moving forward.”