FBLA Finds Success at Nationals

Several students from the Fleetwood Area High School found success at this year’s Future Business Leaders of America National Leadership Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. To qualify for the national competition, these students also placed in the top four at the state competition in Hershey and placed in the top 3 at the regional level. 

The students who attended nationals included Fleetwood graduates Cassandra Batz, Morgan Foley, and Emily Walbert, as well as current seniors Rachelle Atchina and Cloey Rentschler.   

Morgan Foley and Cassandra Batz were finalists in the competition for their event, Sales Presentation, making them among the top fourteen groups across the country. The Fleetwood chapter as a whole earned the Gold Champion Chapter Award; this is the second year in a row for Fleetwood to earn this honor.

This year’s Partnership with Business Project was presented at nationals by Rachelle Atchina, Cassandra Batz, and Cloey Rentschler. Andrew Haas was also involved in the project but did not attend nationals. The project spanned the entire 2022-2023 school year.

The members created a fifteen-page report about everything they did with their partner business and submitted it to the state for review. The report placed in the top fifteen in the state, qualifying them to compete with a presentation at the national competition. 

“We lost to a group in California that partnered with Quizizz. We partnered with Opportunity House,” Atchina said. 

The national competition also provided new experiences and lifelong memories for the students who attended. They had the opportunity to see several parts of Atlanta, Georgia, and participate in experiences provided specifically for the competitors and their advisors. 

“My favorite part of nationals was when there was this huge block party and a DJ from California, and there was crowd surfing and a mosh pit in the middle of Centennial Olympic Park,” Atchina said. 

The Fleetwood chapter of FBLA plans to continue its presence at nationals each year. 

“It was a great experience for those that attended, and we’re hoping for success again this year,” Ackerman said.