From April 6-8, Creston FBLA went to the State Leadership Conference in Coralville and had a record-setting state conference this year. The group took 22 students to the conference and 19 students qualified for nationals in Anaheim, California. By the afternoon of April 8, the group was down to four members to accept all of these awards with prom being that evening.
The students competed and placed in 14 events:
• First place – Community Service Project – Brayton Chesnut and Katie Powers with Victories for Vets project
• Second place – American Enterprise Project – Austin Nguyen-Schnormeier and Sophie Schuler
• Second place – Digital Video Production – Nguyen-Schnormeier, John Reasoner and Rachel Shepherd
• Second place – Partnership with Business – Kelsi Kautz, Dalton O’Riley and Kristy Powers
• Second place – Sports and Entertainment Management – Kendall Crawford, Eli Loudon and Mark Waigand
• Third place – Entrepreneurship – Ben Irr and Dawson Smith
• Third place – Introduction to Business Presentation – Payton Burg, Spencer Lane and Calista Mason
• Third place – Who’s Who in FBLA – Shepherd
• Fourth place – Sports and Entertainment Management – Irr, O’Riley and Isaac Wignall
• Fourth place – Vocabulary Relay Advanced – O’Riley, Kristy Powers and Wignall
• Fourth place – Interviewing and Etiquette – Shepherd
• Fifth place – Future Business Leader – Shepherd
• Fifth place – Local Chapter Annual Business Report – Shepherd
• Sixth place – Introduction to Business Communications – Lane
FBLA members are still figuring out who will compete at nationals, but all the students did an exemplary job representing the school.
Some other highlights were Leona Shepherd being recognized as the businessperson of the year, Creston having the fifth-largest chapter membership in the state with 64 members and Rachel Shepherd placing in all five of her events, while most members compete in just two or three events. The group thanks all the staff and community members who helped the kids with projects, helped them prepare and encouraged them in this process. The large group of new members experienced their first conference and stepped up to the challenge.