The Coal City High School chapter of Future Business Leaders of America [FBLA] participated in the annual State Leadership Conference in Springfield, and out of the 18 students who competed in 10 events, 10 students made their way to the stage playing in the top ten, one of them advancing to the national competition this summer.
Hunter Pedigo placed third in Help Desk and it earned him a trip to the National Leadership Conference this summer in Orlando, FL. The top four finishers in each competitive event qualify for national competition.
FBLA is the premiere state student business organization and the conference, held April 5-6, provides student members an opportunity to expand their business skills and compete in competitive events.
Senior Ethan Scrogham placed sixth in Visual Design and the team of Kylee Kennell and Wyleigh Serena placed sixth in Community Service Project. Kennell and Serena also finished 10th in Social Media Strategies.
The team of Corinna Barkley and Lilly Feisley placed seventh in Public Service Announcement and the trio of Addison Hodgen, Peyton Gibson and Bridget Feeney took eighth place in Sales presentation. Jessie Henke was also on the stage finishing in 10th place in Job Interview.
As a school, Coal City placed sixth in the Presidential Membership Award and second in the Goose Chase Scavenger Hunt Challenge.
When asked about the trip, members shared stories about their experiences while at the conference. President Kylee Kennell said, “The State Leadership Conference was a great experience for our new members to get exposure to the environment of FBLA and get more excited for future years to come.”
“I really enjoyed getting to attend my first State Leadership Conference and learning more about FBLA,” said Lilly Feisley.
When not competing, members got the chance to attend educational workshops and participate in the scavenger hunt.
National qualifier Hunter Pedigo said, “FBLA was an experience that I will never forget. I made new friends, learned new skills, and had an awesome time.”
Also participating in the conference were: Aubrey Grunwald, Abby Stiles, Kylie Jackson, Cade Poyner, Mason Hamilton, Dylan Young, William Johnke and Lucas Pfizenmaier
Coal City’s FBLA chapter, sponsored by Harlan Kennell, looks forward to finishing the year strong and returning to the State Leadership Conference next year with more competitors.