FBLA News at the Grand River Area Vo-Tech School, Chillicothe

Students from the Grand River Technical School chapter of Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) attended the National Fall Leadership Conference held in Cincinnati, Ohio, November 8-10. The 2007-2008 FBLA national theme is “Leadership in Action,” and FBLA members participated in workshops focused on Business, Career Development, Communications, Finance, Leadership and Information Technology. Motivational speaker Byron Garrett, co-author of the popular book The ABC’s of Life, inspired the students to reach their potential. Scott Seay, chief workshop bear of Build-A-Bear Workshop® shared about the vision and mission of the Build-a-Bear business during the conference’s closing session.

Along with the conference activities, students enjoyed visiting the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Newport Aquarium in Newport, Kentucky, and the opportunity to network with other FBLA members from several states. Students attending were Corey Baughn, Jacob Peterson, Katie Forsyth, Corie Donoho, Chelsea Sturguess, Megan Moore, Jacob Caughron, and Weston Souders. The members were accompanied by adviser Jenny Hughes.

CAPTION: FBLA members L-R: Corey Baughn, Jacob Peterson, Katie Forsyth, Corie Donoho, Chelsea Sturguess, Megan Moore, Jacob Caughron, and Weston Souders.

GRTS students attend FBLA national conference and receive top honors. Corey Baughn, Xandria Colvin, Chris Shirk, and Chelsea Sturguess represented the state of Missouri at the Future Business Leaders of America-Phi Beta Lambda National Leadership Conference (NLC) in Chicago, Illinois, June 28-July 1, 2007. They were accompanied by adviser, Sondra Sturguess.

The students competed in FBLA-PBL's national awards program and vied for top honors against state representatives from across the United States, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Bermuda, Guam, the Cayman Islands, and the Department of Defense schools worldwide.
Corey Baughn and Chris Shirk competed in E-Business and placed 6th in the Awards of Excellence held on July 1 at the University of Illinois-Chicago (UIC) Pavilion. This event is new in the 2006-2007 year and consists of the creation and design of a Web commerce site Chris Shrik, Xandria Colvin, Chelsea Sturguess, Corey Baughn

Chris Shrik, Xandria Colvin, Chelsea Sturguess, Corey Baughn

for their FBLA organization along with a presentation at NLC. A panel of judges then conducts a question and answer session. Xandria Colvin and Chelsea Sturguess competed in Partnership with Business. They didn't place in the top 10 but they did represent our state and GRTS well. This event consists of creating a 30 page report (based on specific guidelines) dealing with the FBLA organization's partner. Our partner is the Chillicothe Area Chamber of Commerce. They also had to give a presentation at NLC along with the judge's question and answer session.

The competition is part of a competitive events program sponsored annually by FBLA-PBL, a professional association for students pursuing business careers. Individuals, local chapters, and state teams compete in over 50 events representing a range of business, career, and leadership development activities. The winners of these challenging and prestigious awards are selected from FBLA-PBL's 250,000 members, and have won state and regional competitions to qualify for the national awards program. The 7300 delegates to the 55th annual conference elect national student officers and attend business and leadership workshops in addition to competing in business and career skill events. This year's national theme, "FBLA-PBL: Your Ticket to the Future!" reflects the goals of FBLA-PBL members and advisers, some of the best and the brightest of today's young people.

The members arrived two days early to attend the Institute for Leaders (IFL) being held June 27-28, 2007 in Chicago, Illinois as part of the activities proceeding NLC. They participated in the Principles of OfficerShip track and were a part of a program of outstanding speakers, dedicated members, and powerful business leadership training. When the students weren't testing, they attended workshops, went through campaign booths, participated in voting sessions, and took in some of Chicago's attractions.

Chris and Xan are graduating seniors, Corey will be a senior, and Chelsea will be a junior this coming school year at Chillicothe High School. Chris and Xan would like to carry on in the college version of FBLA called PBL. Both Corey and Chelsea have indicated that they are looking forward to making Nationals again next year. "The students did a fantastic job and learned so much. They set in on some of the final presentations and will be even more prepared for the coming years. They have met members from several other states who will be friends for a lifetime. It was a wonderful experience", said Sondra Sturguess, FBLA Adviser.

Future Business Leaders of America-Phi Beta Lambda, Inc., (FBLA-PBL) is a nonprofit education association. They are the largest and oldest student business organization who is celebrating its 65th year. They have over 250,000 members and advisers in 12,000 chartered chapters worldwide. Its mission is to bring business and education together in a positive working relationship through innovative leadership and career development programs. To learn more, see FBLA-PBL's web site at www.fbla-pbl.org or call 800-FBLA-WIN.

Fourteen members of the Grand River Technical Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) Chapter attended the 2006 Missouri FBLA Leadership Conference held April 23-25 in Columbia, Missouri.


Award Winners: Chris Shirk, Alex Economu	Chris Shirk, Alex Economu, Amanda Sharp, Madison Pulliam, Randie Lowe, Xandria Colvin, Jacob Caughron, Alex Economu, Ben Nibarger, Natalie Hughes, Tyler Way, Allie Peters, Dillon Harp, Geana Gates; Not pictured: Rebecca Kerr

Delegates representing the Grand River Technical FBLA in the state competitive leadership awards program were:

Placing in the top ten at State FBLA Conference is quite an honor since Missouri has the second highest membership in the nation. Winning recognition at the state conference were:

Jenny Hughes, Susan Mayers, and Joyce Mollohan, local chapter advisers, accompanied the students to the conference.

Members of Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) partnered with the local Habitat for Humanity chapter to create a calendar of home maintenance tips for Habitat homeowners. Megan Sharp, Natalie Hughes, and Eric Stockard researched web sites and interviewed Tony Figg, chairman of the Building Committee for Habitat, to create a list of suggestions that would help the homeowners maintain their homes. The students wanted to present a gift to the Habitat owners that would not only be pretty and personalized, but also practical.

The Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) chapter sponsored by Grand River Technical School competed in district competition on Monday, February 20, in Higginsville. Twenty-nine students competed in 33 different events ranging from accounting tests to web page design.

Fourteen students finished in the top of their events and will be competing at the state level in Columbia April 23-25. Students going to state are Madison Pulliam (accounting and business law), Ben Nibarger (accounting), Alex Economu (business plan), Dillon Harp (economics), Eric Stockard (economics), Natalie Hughes (job interview), Randie Lowe (Ms. Future Business Leader), Chris Shirk (networking concepts), Tyler Way (public speaking II), and the parliamentary procedure team of Xandria Colvin, Geana Gates, Rebecca Kerr, Allie Peters, and Tyler Way.

The FBLA chapter won the Sweepstakes Trophy, representing the most points won by a chapter in the district. Other award winners finishing in the top four of their events were: Becca Fender, Kayla Sensenich, Parker Leatherman, Ashley Lent, Shala Moore, John Riekena, Katie Daugherty, Heidi McCoy, and Reace Huss.

FBLA advisers accompanying the group were Jenny Hughes, Susan Mayers, and Joyce Mollohan.

The Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) chapter from Grand River Technical School participated in a competition practice day on Wednesday, January 25. North Central Missouri College in Trenton hosted the special event, and GRTS had 37 students competing. GRTS teachers Joyce Mollohan and Jenny Hughes were the accompanying advisers.

First place winners were Daniel Allen and Reace Huss, Desktop Publishing; Alex Economu, Networking Concepts; Madison Pulliam, Accounting II; Lynda Bonnette, Marketing; and Randie Lowe, Ms. FBL (Future Business Leader). Second place winners were Chelsea Sturgess, Introduction to Business Communication; team of Xandria Colvin, Rebecca Kerr, Allie Peters, Tyler Way and Geana Gates, Parliamentary Procedure; Reace Huss, Technology Concepts; Eric Stockard, Economics; Becca Fender, Accounting II; Parker Leatherman, Computer Concepts; and Morgan Lollar, Banking and Finance.

Students were treated to a free lunch on the NCMC campus and invited to participate in tours of the college. The Phi Beta Lambda (PBL) chapter sponsored the FBLA event as a preparation for district competition which will be occurring on Monday, February 20. The mission of FBLA is to bring business and education together in a positive working relationship through innovative leadership and career development programs.

Thirteen members of the Grand River Technical Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) Chapter attended the 2005 Missouri FBLA Leadership Conference held April 17-19 in Columbia, Missouri.

FBLA is a career and technical student organization for all high school students participating in business programs. Over 2,400 members and advisers throughout the state met to elect state officers, transact business of the state chapter, participate in leadership and career workshops, and compete in the state leadership awards program.

Delegates representing the Grand River Technical FBLA in the state competitive leadership awards program were:

Amanda Steely and Randie Lowe—Partnership with Business Project
Madison Pulliam—Public Speaking II
Daniel Leatherman—Accounting II
Matt Clark—Banking and Financial Systems
Rachel Hughes—Business Communications
Chanel Allen—Business Law
Natalie Hughes—Business Math
Katie Nibarger and Kayla Riekena—Business Plan Project
Gina Heaton—Business Procedures
John Riekena—Computer Concepts
Kathryn Brodmerkle, Katie Nibarger, and Kayla Riekena—Entrepreneurship
Daniel Leatherman—Mr. Future Business Leader

Placing in the top ten at State FBLA Conference is quite an honor since Missouri has the second highest membership in the nation. Winning recognition at the state conference were:

2nd Place:
Accounting II: Daniel Leatherman
Business Plan Project: Katie Nibarger and Kayla Riekena

6th Place:
Entrepreneurship: Kathryn Brodmerkle, Katie Nibarger, and Kayla Riekena

9th Place:
Banking & Financial Systems: Matt Clark

Daniel actually tied for 1st place with the highest score but was awarded second place based on his completion time. FBLA rules require all ties to be broken based on the order in which tests are turned in to judges. Sometimes “seconds” count!

Daniel Leatherman (Accounting II) and Katie Nibarger and Kayla Riekena (Business Plan Project) qualified for national competition to be held June 24-27 in Orlando, Florida.

National competition has become second nature to Katie Nibarger as this marks her third consecutive year to achieve the honor of competing at this level. Last year she and fellow FBLA member Kayla Riekena, who will be making her second trip to nationals this year, placed sixth in the nation with their Partnership with Business Project. This year, their goal is to place even higher with their Business Plan Project.

Jenny Hughes, Susan Mayers, and Joyce Mollohan, local chapter advisers, accompanied the students to the conference.

Twenty students from the Grand River Technical School’s Chapter of Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) took part in the district contest and captured the Sweepstakes Trophy at District 19 Competition held at Trenton High School on Saturday, February 26. To achieve this honor, Grand River Tech FBLA members had to earn more points by winning more events than other schools in the competition. They have accomplished this feat for seven of the past eight years.

One of the highlights of the day was Daniel Leatherman achieving the coveted title of Mr. Future Business Leader. Daniel completed a written test covering FBLA knowledge, as well as a broad business background including accounting, business technology, economics, parliamentary procedure, etc. A panel of three judges, who also critiqued his letter of application and resume, then interviewed him. Leatherman achieved first place and earned the honor of advancing to state competition. Heading to State!

Overall, GRTS FBLA members won eleven first place awards, four second place awards, six third place awards, one fourth place award, and two fifth place awards, for a total of 24.

Accompanying the students to district competition were Jenny Hughes, Susan Mayers, and Joyce Mollohan, FBLA advisers. The 2005 FBLA State Leadership Conference will be held April 17-19 at Holiday Inn Select in Columbia.

Placings

1st Place
Daniel Leatherman—Accounting II
Matt Clark—Banking and Financial Systems
Rachel Hughes—Business Communication
Natalie Hughes—Business Math
Katie Nibarger and Kayla Riekena—Business Plan Project
Gina Heaton—Business Procedures
John Riekena—Computer Concepts
Katie Nibarger, Kayla Riekena, and Kathryn Brodmerkle—Entrepreneurship
Daniel Leatherman—Mr. Future Business Leader
Mitch McCauslin and Ben Coult—Multimedia Presentation
Madison Pulliam—Public Speaking II

2nd Place
Chanel Allen—Business Law
Amanda Laidler and Rachel Hughes—Desktop Publishing
Natalie Hughes—Public Speaking I
Alex Economu—Website Development

3rd Place
Madison Pulliam—Accounting I
Jonathon Schneider—Economics
Jonathon Schneider and Matt Clark—Emerging Business Issues
Kathryn Brodmerkle—Job Interview
Alex Economu—Networking Concepts
Alex Economu—Technology Concepts

Powder Puff Football (click photos to see closer view)

Winning Sophomore/Junior Girls - click image to see closer view

The Grand River Technical School's chapter of Future Business Leaders of America sponsored a powder puff football game on Saturday, October 23, at Jerry Litton Memorial Stadium. The proceeds will be given to a local charity. The team of sophomore/junior girls dominated the freshmen/senior girls, much to the dismay of the senior girls! However, much fun was had by all. A special thanks goes to the teams, the officials (Clint Macoubrie and Matt Perry), and the crowd for making this an entertaining event for a good cause.

Members of the game-winning team were Bailey Benson, Angel Maxwell, Maggie Weldon, Tara Jeffries, Kimberly May, Mandy Brock, April Williams, and Andrea Walter. Senior/freshmen team members included Rachel Hughes, Amber Parker, Megan Thompson, Katie Nibarger, Kayla Riekena, Kate Lindley, Katie Quinn, and Christy Todd, and Meghann Gilliland.

Caption: The Grand River Technical School FBLA Chapter members who placed in the top 10 in their respective competitions at the 2004 Missouri FBLA Leadership Conference held on April 18-20 in Columbia, Mo., were, from left: Daniel Leatherman, Morgan Truesdell, Lauren McDaniel, Katie Nibarger, Kayla Riekena, and Brad Alden.

Members of the Grand River Technical School's Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) Chapter recently attended the 2004 Missouri FBLA Leadership Conference held on April 18-20 in Columbia, Mo. During the conference three members -- Katie Nibarger, Kayla Riekena and Lauren McDaniel -- qualified to advance to the National Leadership Conference in Denver, Colo. on July 14-17. Nibarger and Riekena earned second place for their partnership with business project and Lauren McDaniel earned second place for her word processing 2 project.

Other students who earned recognition at the state conference were Brad Alden, Mr. Future Business Leader, fourth place; Katie Nibarger, word processing 1, sixth place; Daniel Leatherman, accounting 1, eighth place; and Morgan Truesdell, business plan project, ninth place.

Caption: Three local Future Business Leaders of America club members recently competed in the FBLA national conference in Denver, Colo. Katie Nibarger (left) and Kayla Riekena (middle) were honored for placing sixth in the nation for their Partnership with Business Project and Lauren McDaniel (right) competed in the Word Processing II event during the conference.

Three members of the Grand River Technical School's Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) Chapter recently traveled to the National Leadership Conference with their year-long projects, with one project finishing sixth in the nation. Katie Nibarger, Kayla Riekena and Lauren McDaniel participated in the national conference which was recently held in Denver, Colo. The students were accompanied by FBLA Adviser, Jayme Caughron.

McDaniel competed in the Word Processing II event and Nibarger and Riekena competed in the Partnership with Business Project. Nibarger and Riekena's Partnership with Business Project for the 2003-2004 school year was a financial literacy program seminar for high school students. "They worked on this seminar project throughout the year," said Caughron. The actual seminar was held at the Grand River Technical School in March. More than 30 businesses from the Chillicothe area contributed to the seminar and seven local business leaders served as guest speakers for the day. Following completion of the seminar, the girls prepared a written report describing their project and evaluating its success. They sent this to national headquarters to be judged prior to the conference.

During the national conference, the girls presented a two minute oral abstract on their project. Caughron reported that the projects were then ranked, based on both the written report and the oral presentation. "They qualified for finals," said Caughron. "Therefore, they were then required to make a 10 minute oral presentation, using visual aids."

During the national conference awards ceremony, Nibarger and Riekena were presented with sixth place in the nation for their business seminar project. According to Caughron, every state in the United States is allowed to submit two Partnership with Business Projects to the national conference. Therefore, Nibarger and Riekena's award as sixth in the nation is quite an honor.

McDaniel, who took a Word Processing II project to the conference, took an onsite production test and this was submitted for judging prior to the contest. Caughron reported that during the national conference, McDaniel competed a written test covering her knowledge of word processing. "She is the first student I have had in Word Processing II class to go on to nationals," said Caughron of McDaniels' accomplishments. McDaniel will receive her national scores at at later date.