Nine Tyrone students represented Region 14 at the 72nd Annual Pennsylvania Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) conference, held April 16th through 19th in Hershey.

One student who showcased her hard work at the conference was senior Emma Reese, who competed in the UX Design competitive event category.

Reese placed fourth in the state which guaranteed her a spot in representing Pennsylvania in the FBLA National Conference. The national conference will be held in Atlanta, Georgia from June 26th through 30th this year.

“I was very surprised to place at States, especially in the top four. I was super shocked and very excited. I hope to place this year in Nationals. Though I competed last year, I wasn’t able to place, so I’m going to study hard in hopes of reaching the top ten, though as long as I have fun, I’ll be satisfied,” said Reese.

In the previous school year, Reese represented Pennsylvania at the national conference when she placed fifth in the Word Processing competitive event category and one of the competitors in front of her was unable to attend the national conference. Reese is the only student in Tyrone FBLA history who placed and will attend the FBLA national conference for two consecutive years.

“I joined FBLA because of the opportunities that it gave me. I get to travel a lot, learn more about the business world, and make important connections with people from all over the country. It’s a great club, and even if you aren’t going into a business-related career, it offers a lot of other opportunities that can relate to multiple career paths. FBLA has given me the opportunity to create a better high school experience,” said Reese.

Another student who represented Tyrone well at the conference was senior Elizabeth Fryer who competed in the journalism competitive event category. Fryer placed seventh in her category and was able to walk across the stage to receive her award.

“I was very surprised yet happy that I placed. I felt as though I did what I came to do and my hard work was shown from my placement,” said Fryer. “[FBLA] has impacted me personally because I learned more about what would be included in the major that I will be studying and I have been able to grow and develop throughout my journey in high school. FBLA helps you prepare for jobs and interviews in the real world and shows you what you should and shouldn’t be doing.”

Students at the state conference also had the opportunity to participate in open event categories where they were able to take an online objective test in an FBLA or business-related category.

The two students who competed in the open event categories were freshman Paige Carper, who competed in job readiness, and senior Hailey Vanish who competed in FBLA Creed/Pledge/Code of Conduct/Mission.

Vanish placed sixth in her open event against fifty-nine other competitors who competed in her open event category.

Tyrone FBLA seniors were also given the chance to apply for the National Business Honor Society where they had to submit a resume, essay responses, and a high school transcript to showcase their knowledge and effort to pursue business-related courses and careers.

According to the National Business Honor Society website, “Pennsylvania FBLA Chapter is designed to recognize those members of FBLA who truly excel in academic preparation and an eventual career in the business world. Pennsylvania FBLA recognizes that in order to succeed as a true business leader, our members need to be well prepared in terms of their academics, career skills, and leadership development.”

The four Tyrone seniors who applied for the National Business Honor Society were Reese, Fryer, Vanish, and Kenneth Sorokie. All four were granted membership within the society and were recognized at the award ceremony.

Other students who represented Tyrone at the state level but did not place in the top ten were seniors Sorokie, who competed in Website Design, and Vanish, who competed in Business Communication, junior Alysa Wheland, who competed in the Public Speaking performance event, junior Jake Rice who competed alongside sophomore Logan Harpster in Sports and Entertainment Management, and freshman Carlie Nowlin who competed in Word Processing.

Along with the competitive and performance events that took place at the conference, students were also able to attend several workshops and seminars and talk to representatives from colleges throughout Pennsylvania.

Students interested in joining FBLA should see Ms. Burega in room 102, across from guidance, for more information.

“FBLA offers so many essential skills and lessons to help students with their future. Whether they plan to go into a business field or not, students can learn valuable things to help prepare them for college, the workforce, starting a business, and even the military. Every student could benefit from the lessons and skills FBLA has to offer,” said Tyrone business teacher and FBLA advisor Amanda Burega.

Burega hopes in the upcoming years Tyrone’s FBLA membership will expand and be able to participate in more FBLA projects and events.

“FBLA isn’t just for business students. There are programs in health, agriculture, multimedia, public speaking, computers, and programming along with the typical business topics. I strongly encourage students to join. Any student can be the next ‘Future Business Leader of America,’” said Burega.