Tag Archive : FBLA

Several Gatton Academy students took top honors at the 2011 Region 2 and Kentucky State Future Busniess Leaders of America (FBLA) Conference, including three state champions.

Each of the seven students who competed were honored as finalists in their respective events at the regional level.  Six were honored in the state competition.

Students will advance to the National Leadership Conference later this year.

FBLA-PBL is the largest business career student organization in the world. The high school division has 215,000 members, while the postsecondary division reaches over 11,000 college students. The newest group, FBLA-Middle Level, is showing remarkable growth with nearly 15,000 student members. Finally, the Professional Division has reached over 3,000 members. Over 11,000 advisers round out the group. Exclusive membership and career recognition programs are designed for each division to provide additional personal and chapter development opportunities.

Students honored  at Regionals include:

1^st Place Business Communications – Sarah Schrader
1^st Place Networking Concepts – Daniel Dilger
1^st Place Technology Concepts – Joey Tutor
2^nd Place Economics – Madeline Buhr
2^nd Place Health Care Administration – Tejas Sangoi
^2nd Place Impromptu Speaking – Lori Lovell
3^rd Place Business Calculations – David Sekora

Students honored  at State include:

1^st Place Networking Concepts – Daniel Dilger
1^st Place Technology Concepts – Joey Tutor
1st Place Impromptu Speaking – Lori Lovell
5th  Place Business Calculations – David Sekora
5th Place Business Communications – Sarah Schrader
5th Place Health Care Administration – Tejas Sangoi

Beth Hawke, Coordinator for Residence Life at the Gatton Academy, serves as the chapter’s sponsor. She expressed pride not only in the team’s accomplishments but also their attitude.

“I am incredibly proud of the work that our students have done and the way they represent Gatton Academy,” she said. “Our FBLA students made a strong showing at the Regional Leadership Conference this year, demonstrating yet again that Gatton Academy students are versatile and well-rounded. These students continue to set the bar high for those who will follow in their footsteps.”

Part of the Gatton Academy’s mission is to train students to think entrepreneurially while becoming the Commonwealth’s future leader. Hawke believes those skills contribute their future roles in STEM fields.

“Many of our students have entrepreneurial aspirations as they wish to go into private practice as physicians, market future inventions, or pursue other business opportunities,” Hawke explained.  “With the growing opportunities that e-commerce and the internet provide, the sky is the limit for these students.  Regardless of the fields that our students eventually choose, the knowledge and skills that they acquire through participation in organizations like FBLA will serve them well in the future.”

For Academy students, this is the the beginning of their professional growth.

“Professionalism is at the core of the mission of FBLA.  Participation in FBLA helps students acquire valuable skills that will prepare them for future opportunities,” Hawke said. “From learning what constitutes professional attire to how to communicate in the business world, FBLA provides students with an opportunity to apply what they learn in the classroom to practical business situations.”

The FBLA concept was developed in 1937 by Dr. Hamden L. Forkner of Columbia University. The first high school chapter was chartered in Johnson City, Tennessee on February 3, 1942. In 1958, the first PBL collegiate chapter was chartered in Iowa. The Professional Division, originally the Alumni Division, began in 1979. Joining FBLA-PBL in 1994 was the FBLA-Middle Level for students in grades 5-9.

For more information, contact Corey Alderdice at (270) 745-6565.