Thousands of students from schools all across California gathered on from April 12-15 at the Ontario Convention Center with one common goal- to participate in the 2018 Future Business Leaders (FBLA) of America State Leadership Conference. Each of the students brought passion, hope, and hours of practice and study in order to compete for a chance to go to the National Conference.

Future Business Leaders of America, or FBLA, is a student-run organization that helps over 230,000 students in the country prepare for careers in business every year. It was first established 76 years ago and has now grown to include nearly every state and even some foreign countries. This year, Yorba Linda High School’s Chapter of FBLA brought 22 students to the conference. Together, they not only had the chance to compete and test their skills but also to network with students from all over the state and learn more about business through engaging workshops.

The competitions included both objective tests and performance events. Students were able to test their skills in topics such as Accounting, Marketing, Spreadsheet Applications, and so many more. Some took tests in order to demonstrate their knowledge, while others submitted videos, presentations, or other forms of projects. Still, others gave presentations and speeches or participated in roleplay events where real-life situations such as working at a help desk or creating a business plan were stimulated.

Yorba Linda High School had seven students qualify to compete at the National Leadership Conference, which is to be held this summer in Baltimore, Maryland. These students will be given an amazing opportunity to travel, further their skills, and meet like-minded students from all around the United States.

The students who qualified were:

• Wayne Chan (11) for Impromptu Speaking (1st place)
• Dylan Shih (9) for Introduction to Financial Math (3rd place)
• Rachel Allsup (11) and Sydnie Chin (11) for Digital Video Production (3rd place)
• Sarah Chen (10), Alice Ding (10), and Janet Han (10) for Introduction to Business Presentation (4th place)

Of course, other students also gained valuable knowledge and unforgettable experiences from the conference. Kobi Khong (10) can attest to this, as he had the chance to bond with people from YLHS’s chapter of FBLA, and says that

“FBLA gave [him] the opportunity to sleep in the same room as Wayne Chan, the alpha male.”

YLHS’s chapter of FBLA also had the unique opportunity of having three students earn positions on the section board, one of whom is also on the state board. Emily Remer (11) is now FBLA’s Southern Section President, and one of the Vice Presidents of FBLA’s California Board. Sarah Chen (10) is the Southern Section Vice President of Membership, and Amanda Wallion (11) is the Leadership Associate. All three students went through a rigorous application and interview process, as well as a campaign and voting session in which representatives of each chapter voted.

In summary, this year’s FBLA State Leadership Conference was truly a memorable and exciting event for YLHS’s Chapter of FBLA. The journey for some of these students, however, is yet to be completed- and they will certainly show the YLHS spirit at the National Leadership Conference this summer.