FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) members are choosing the events they will compete in next semester this week! This decision is a big deal because students will have the opportunity to compete at a national level in some of these events. While nationals is a difficult task to achieve, many members of FBLA from the Air Academy High School chapter have done just that. One of these members, Kellen Greco, made it to nationals in one of the most competitive events in FBLA being sports marketing. 

“FBLA is very challenging but incredibly rewarding especially when you get to compete at such a high level,” Greco stated.

FBLA  prepares students for what an actual work environment looks like. It teaches them the skills to problem solve on the spot and come up with creative solutions. It forces its members into situations that require them to use these skills and helps them learn how to problem-solve in a pressured environment. It’s these environments that set apart your average members from those who are able to compete at a national level. 

What do these environments look like? The most popular form of competition is through role plays where the event organizers give students a set of circumstances that relates to their topic and they use their knowledge of the event and skills obtained through the club to problem solve and give the best possible outcome given the set of circumstances.

So why is this so important? Well, last year AAHS had multiple members go to nationals with one of its members placing 7th in the entire country for his given event. So the expectations for this year’s members are high and with that, this year’s members are now eager to follow in his footsteps and bring AAHS back to national glory.

“I would love to bring air academy back to nationals and with the success, we had last year I don’t see why we can’t do it again,” junior Logan Burwell stated.

Besides the pressure and valuable life skills that students will obtain through the club, why would members want to join? 

“Some of my most fond memories are from this club,” junior Avery Brandt stated.

Members who compete nationally also get to travel around the country. For example, last year students got to travel to Chicago and spend several days in the city with their friends while also getting to compete.

Ms.Bornhofen with her FBLA officers Greco, Jessie Sellars, Brandt, Burwell, Ethan Kennedy, Alex Gales, and Kayla Moore.

 Now more than ever are some of the most important moments for FBLA because while they are not the moments of glory and fun that they all wish for and dream about. It is these moments that will lead them to the glory and success that they strive for. It’s the decisions made now that will go on to represent what AAHS stands for at FBLA and whether or not they will be able to replicate the success that they had in the past.