Fleetwood FBLA Team Returns Victorious

Many Fleetwood students were winners at the FBLA event held in January and December. It was held virtually over a three-week period of time from mid-December to Early January.

¨There is a lot of recognition to be earned through FBLA,¨ adviser and business teacher Kelly Ackerman said.

Winners were announced via a video recording created by the three regional officers, all from Fleetwood Area High School. The top five winners in each event received a certificate, and the first-place winner also received a plaque. The top five entries have qualified to compete in the State Leadership Conference, conducted virtually between now and 13 April. 

FBLA stands for Future Business Leaders of America. FBLA helps high school students to prepare for careers in business through academic competitions (FBLA Competitive Events), leadership development, and educational programs. FBLA participants also demonstrate leadership skills through community service projects, fundraising activities, and chapter officer positions. High school students explore college and career opportunities through a number of co-curricular educational programs. The members take part in academic competitions, networking events with accomplished business professionals at conferences, and community service projects; plus, they have exclusive access to scholarships from a select group of academic institutions. 

FBLA’s competitive events give students the opportunity to compete against the best-of-the-best in over 60 academic events that cover technology, public speaking, business finance, management, and much more. The top winners take home trophies and cash from sponsored events.

¨The key things we do in FBLA are to learn things that will help make all students successful in whatever business ventures they undertake after high school,¨ Ackerman said. ¨This year, we have used a bunch of online videos with motivational speakers to keep students focused and on track. In a normal year, we would have speakers attend our meetings and share information for our members.”

Students that complete just three hours of community service per school year are eligible to earn a state certificate.

¨We always are encouraging our members to enhance their resume through honors and achievements,¨ Ackerman said.

Members that are in FBLA and have taken two business classes are able to apply for induction into the National Business Honor Society, which is another great recognition program.

The winners for the regional competition were as follows: 1st place in Introduction to Social Media Strategy, Julia Kaskey; 1st place in Job Interview, Sacha Joseph; 2nd place in Job Interview, Emily Hayes; 1st place in Journalism, the team of Seamus Cahalan, Ivor Cahalan, and Jared Burt; 1st place in Management Decision Making, the team of Kahdaja Weadock and Erica Kratz; 3rd place in Marketing, the team of Maegan Mileshosky and Emily Walbert; 4th place in Marketing, Gavin Milligan; 1st place in Organizational Leadership, Benjamin Dempsey; 2nd place in Personal Finance, Madison Musitano; 1st place in Political Science, Jasmine Evans; 3rd place in Public Speaking, Kylie Frain; 1st place in Sales Presentation, Andrew Haas; 2nd place in Banking and Financial Systems, the team of Natalie Slusser, Elizabeth Miller, and Saddie Eggleston; 2nd place in Banking and Financial Systems, the team of Olivia Downs and Abigail Kile; 1st place in Business Ethics, Jeffrey Davenport; 3rd place in Business Law, Celeste Cook; 4th place in Business Law, the team of Cole Pennypacker, Jack Riffle, and Caden Schaeffer; 1st place in Graphic Design, Laura Aulenbach; 4th place in Healthcare Administration, the team of Sarah Loeffler and Abby Warren; 3rd place in Hospitality and Event Management, Tyler Reed; 2nd place in Introduction to Business, Rachelle Atchina; 1st place in Introduction to FBLA, the team of Catherine Annabel, Evangeline Crossley, and Abigail Koehle; 1st place in Introduction to Social Media Strategy, Julia Kaskey.

Julia Kaskey will continue to hold the position of Region 8 President for the 2021-2022 school year. Three other members received state recognition and will be presenting their Community Service Project to judges at the State Leadership Conference. 

Students who take the elective Investing for Your Future you can earn a certificate in Financial Literacy. The certificates are a way for a student to set themselves apart when applying for jobs or college. The more certificates a student earns in high school, the more impressive their resume will appear in the future.

The certificate consists of completing 7 lessons with a 70% or higher on each; then the student receives a certificate.

During the fall semester of 2020, thirteen students have enrolled in the business class and received the certificates from BB&T Bank, which were handed out at the end of the semester. They completed seven lessons using an online platform on the topics of Budgeting, Banking Basics, Income and Employment, and Credit. 

Those who received certificates were Nate Goldsborough, Andrew Haas, Julia Spanier, Morgan Kitixis, Aidan Soumas, Laura Aulenbach, Samuel Mitten, Will Ryan, Griffin Price, Elizabeth Miller, Megan Smith, Ailing Chen, and RouHan Chen.