Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) is a national organization that promotes collaboration, community, entrepreneurship, and friendly competition among members. Students enrolled in Career Technical Education (CTE) classes at YLHS are eligible to compete and highly encouraged to do so. FBLA serves as a wonderful opportunity for competing, networking, and becoming part of a large community.

On January 24, 2026, following months of dedicated preparation, YLHS’s FBLA chapter attended the Southern Section Leadership Conference (SSLC) at Cal State Fullerton. Representing YLHS’s passionate spirit, students brought home awards from over 34 competitive events, enabling the chapter to win 4th in sweepstakes among 30 other chapters present. Although the season has already begun, students can still join the club to receive valuable skills and lessons through knowledgeable guest speakers and volunteer opportunities.

During the opening ceremony, Southern Section board members introduced themselves and the day’s agenda, which included a keynote speaker, two workshops, a provided lunch, and the awards assembly. Section Leaders Kenzie Laing and Vanessa Xu–YLFBLA’s VP of Community Service–delivered campaign speeches for the role of 2026-2027 Southern Section President.

Afterward, the introductory keynote speaker and workshop speaker, the Superintendent of Upper Lake Unified School District and CEO of Annous Enterprises, Dr. Giovanni H. Annous, gave FBLA attendees a condensed, post-graduate lecture on the foundations of navigating the nuances of building yourself up as an individual and leaving a positive impact on those around you.

Dr. Annous describes the objective for his educational and entrepreneurial endeavors: “Service is my purpose, and it is humanity. I wanted to open more opportunities to others by spreading education about relationships. Our youth is our future, so it is important to share the knowledge we have with them.”

Sebastien Annous (12), the FBLA Vice President of Programs, hosted an additional workshop that focused on communication and networking in the business world. He emphasized how “at the foundation of it, cultivating my communication skills has given me purpose in life.” They have helped him maintain relationships with his friends and family but have also earned him opportunities through networking.

Similarly, Southern Section President Mara Grepo (11) and Ex-Officio Madison Low (12) hosted a workshop about igniting connections in professional settings, motivating students to speak to people from various schools and share their future aspirations. “I’ve really grown up with this supportive and passionate community,” Mara shares, “and building a professional network has impacted my personal life and built many skill sets, like going outside my comfort zone to speak publicly and serve as an officer.”

For Madison, developing the confidence to speak through FBLA helped her to successfully impromptu the rest of her speech for a section board position after forgetting her lines. Doing so was no easy feat, but it demonstrated her dedication and impact in FBLA, as she “built up the courage to run for an officer position again the following year.”

For many students, such as Sophia Bapu (9), SSLC was their first time attending an FBLA conference, and “it was very interactive and engaging.” She further describes that “it opened [her] eyes to business and how you can start from scratch and improve.”

About 2 weeks before the conference, students took their objective tests at YLHS and were encouraged to study beforehand. Jasmine Moawad (10) describes her simple, yet effective method of doing so: “I tried to plan it as best as I could–I took about an hour on the weekends and quickly reviewed before I took my test.” While event preparation can be challenging, doing so efficiently and effectively makes placing a reachable goal.

Although FBLA may take up a significant amount of time, returning student Brandon Kim (11) testifies that “conferences are one of the most fun parts of the school year, and after your first experience, you realize you want to keep participating. What you put in is really what you get out of it.”

FBLA also provides countless resources and opportunities for personal and professional growth. As YLFBLA’s Activities Coordinator Tiffany Oh (12) states, the organization encourages “networking with high school students in your area and building established companionships.”

YLFBLA Advisors, Ms. Waltemeyer and Mrs. Romero, both agree that participating in these conferences and being part of the community are insightful, irreplaceable experiences for students. Mrs. Romero (S) reflects on what helps her students in Introduction to Business in FBLA: “Feeding off of the energy and having students from both your own campus and others cheering others on is what really helps intro kids. Competition can get intimidating, but they try, and you see the genuine reaction on some faces when placing first.”

While competitions are a main component of FBLA, Ms. Waltemeyer (S) also emphasizes the smaller moments that tie the experience together, including “traveling, acknowledging students’ hard work, and bonding through the shared joy and excitement. Many people gain friendships that carry beyond their high school years, uniting us as a team.”

Grace Peng (12), the president of YLFBLA, states how she is “incredibly proud of YLFBLA’s growth and improvement.” Furthermore, she credits this success to “the support and resources provided to our members. Our board–especially the Competitive Events team–developed targeted study resources, organized study sessions, and hosted mock tests.”

Grace also notes that “YLFBLA launched a new mentorship program, pairing each competitor with an experienced member who had previously qualified in a similar event…Together, these initiatives equipped members with the resources necessary to succeed, maximizing the individual FBLA experience and strengthening our chapter’s overall growth.”

YLFBLA is the largest it has ever been since its establishment, and evidently, the success of this conference sprouted from the efforts of members and the board, both individually and collectively. Their sense of community and teamwork truly drives the chapter forward, and the chapter will continue this momentum and unity into the 2026 State Leadership Conference.