Students find success at Future Business Leaders competition ...

West Lincoln Future Business Leaders of America students.

AMANDA SEBASTIANO
Staff Writer

Improving their communication skills, learning how to present to an audience and getting an idea of what their lives will be like post-graduation, were just a few of the tools some of Lincoln County?s Future Business Leaders of America students studied recently ? skills they hope will help them stand out from their peers when looking for a job later.
?FBLA allows students to excel in all areas of business,? West Lincoln High School business teacher and FBLA coach Kelly Ann Somers told the Times-News. ?It builds confidence, team work, leadership skills and gives the students an edge over others applying for colleges and top-notch jobs.?
Lincolnton High and WLHS had students who competed at the State Leadership Conference in Greensboro March 22.
WLHS sent 11 of the 41-member FBLA team to the competition ? one of which won first place and was named North Carolina?s Future Business Leader, 16-year-old Megan Avery. Betsy Roland,17, and Matthew Schaffer,18, worked as a team and won second place with their business plan project, while others ranked in the top four and top 10. Avery, along with Roland and Shaffer, are moving onto the national competition in San Antonio in June; a costly trip that?s worth the experience, Somers said.
Somers and Jennifer Welch, who oversee West Lincoln?s team, are estimating the flight, hotel and registration fees to total about $3,000 for all three students to go on the trip. So far, the group has been trying to raise money through local fundraising events, like their Powder Puff football game.
Those in the club are learning techniques to use on their job search, such as interviewing tips, resume-building and job application skills.
Those a part of FBLA also participate in community service activities, such as the WLHS group who bought gifts for local, under-privileged children last Christmas and donated to the House of Hope, a counseling center for girls ages 12-17.
Down the road, LHS students reflect on their experiences at states and how the club will help them later in life. Their FBLA team was age and experience-diverse.
Senior and FBLA President Zachary Fitzgerald has participated in state conferences all four years of high school and is excited to use his new-found knowledge he gained through the group when he goes to college and eventually picks a career.
Freshman Andrew Cromer, however, is just getting warmed up. Cromer ranked in the top 10 for Word Processing at his first competition ? an amazing accomplishment, said Jennifer Luper, FBLA coach and career and technical department chair at Lincolnton High.
Senior Dylan Houser was the third member of the LHS club to travel to Greensboro, and took away some insight after his first time competing at the state level.
Luper and the her FBLA trio thought the session about learning to buy a car was one of the most practical sections of the trip and most enjoyable. Students were shown what type of questions to ask when deciding to get a loan for a car at the bank and what factors are important to consider.
?Even if you end up deciding not to pursue a career in business, you are still learning valuable leadership and life skills,? Houser said. ?We learned how to apply technology skills to every-day life.?

Three Lincolnton High School FBLA students also competed in Greensboro.

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