FBLA members compete at state conference

Special to The SUN

Photo courtesy Zachary Ellis
FBLA members (from left to right) Zachary Ellis, Mason Brown and Ryan McInnis qualified as a team for national competition in Management and Decision Making at the State Leadership Conference held in Vail recently.

Twenty-one Pagosa Springs High School Future Business Leaders of America members traveled to Vail on April 26 to attend the three-day FBLA State Leadership Conference, where they competed with nearly 3,000 other FBLA students from across the state.

The local FBLA chapter received two separate awards, including a Peak Performance and a national qualifier.

Zachary Ellis, Ryan McInnis and Mason Brown qualified as a team for national competition. They placed third in Management Decision Making, an event involving a test over crucial knowledge required for management and an impromptu, interactive presentation of a solution to a business issue. The team was invited to compete at the National Leadership Conference this June in Nashville, Tenn. They will not be competing due to scheduling conflicts and costs.

In addition, the Pagosa Springs FBLA chapter received a Peak I achievement award, accepted by Kylee Bonnel. This award was earned by completing FBLA requirements such as having a state officer present at the induction ceremony and having chapter involvement in a community service project.

Addie Thompson also earned eighth place in impromptu speaking as a freshman.

This year’s theme was “Achievement in Motion.”

The keynote speaker was Grant Baldwin. Over the past eight years, he has spoken to over 250,000 students through conferences, assemblies and conventions and camps. He was named in GO magazine’s 20 under 30 for his work as an entrepreneur and is an expert in helping students to prepare for the future.