Future Business Leaders of America  (FBLA) is participating in competitions in February and March. The online objective test is Feb. 19 and the actual Regional Conference at Longwood College will be on March 18. If students make it past regionals, they will go to the state conference in April. 

Computer Teacher Mike Lenoir is the sponsor of FBLA and is helping to prepare the students for the competitions. 

“The competitions are individual or team events in various knowledge or skill categories ranging from Economics to Computer Game and Simulation Programming,” said Lenoir. “As an advisor, I register the students who are competing and direct them to the descriptions and guidelines for the event they choose to compete in. It is up to the individual members to prepare for their chosen events.”

Lenoir also knows what it takes to be a member of FBLA and what the students need to do for their competitions. 

“To compete for FBLA a student must be a nationally registered member, which requires $10 dues to be paid to the state and national organization. What is required to compete depends on the event a student has chosen to compete in,” said Lenoir. “Many of the chosen events are knowledge-based events. Students competing in knowledge events will take a proctored online objective test, usually with a time limit of 50 minutes.”

Junior Carson Funk joined to experience the business world and is competing in Political Science.

“I joined because it is a great opportunity to meet and learn alongside minded people who are interested in going into the business world,” said Funk. “I am competing with other students by taking the political science test.”

Funk also knows about the many different ways that one can compete in FBLA.

“You can compete in FBLA in many different ways,” said Funk “You can give a speech, present something, or take a test.”

Junior Julia Mayo is also competing. Mayo is preparing to compete in the Health Care Administration.

“For my competition I am completing a Health Care Administration objective test,” said Mayo. “To prepare for the competition, it is really up to the individual to look up practice tests and materials, like I am doing.” 

Mayo talks about joining FBLA and what it takes to join FBLA.

“I joined because I have friends that are in it and had heard from members of previous years how much fun it was,” said Mayo. “To compete in FBLA, you pay a one time fee of becoming a member and then you search the FBLA competitive events to tell one of the teachers which event you are interested in.” 

Senior Josh Wawrzyniak has also entered the competition. He is competing with Senior Henry Haywood in Marketing. 

“My partner and I are competing in Marketing. The first level is taking a test, and the next level is to prepare a presentation,” said Wawrzyniak. “We have not been focused on competition yet, but now we are starting to study hard to try to make it to states.”

Wawrzyniak wants to make it to States and possibly Nationals.

“I think States would be really fun if we can make it,” said Wawrzyniak. “If we go to Nationals it will be the time of our lives, and we get to fly across the country.”

Wawrzyniak talks about why he joined FBLA.

“I joined to try something new and kind of out of the box to get the most out of my time in high school,” said Wawrzyniak. “I knew that I could get a leadership role and have a big impact on the club so that was pretty exciting as well.”