PHOTO PROVIDED BY NICOLE TONG BY CAROL LI
ONLINE EDITOR
Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) attended the Southern Section Leadership Conference at Valencia HS from 7 A.M. to 5 P.M. on Saturday, Feb. 9.
The conference began with an opening session and led into multiple sessions of competition, which provided students with opportunities to compete in objective, presentation, production and interview events against schools in the southern region of California.
Throughout the day, activities such as workshops gave participants an insight into FBLA’s organization and the business field as a whole. The conference ended with a closing ceremony, where emcees announced the students who performed well in their respective events.
At the event, FBLA received seven awards, with two students advancing to the California State Leadership Conference.
According to co-president senior Melanie Wu, the conference went smoothly because members exhibited their passion for FBLA.
“I [observed] that many underclassmen put [great] effort in preparing for their events, and I am happy to see their passion for FBLA. For our next conference, I hope for all of our members to prepare even more, because the competition is fiercer,” Wu said.
Furthermore, state finalist junior Curtis Lee saw the conference as a great way to expand his public speaking skills and network with others.
“Growing up, I always loved public speaking, and FBLA gave me a platform through my events to demonstrate my skill as a public speaker,” Lee said. “The conference was a great experience, because I met many people who are ambitious and interested in the field of business.”
Moreover, freshman representative freshman Justin Huh initially felt scared for the competition, but ended up having a great experience.
“I was quite nervous for my events at the conference, but afterward, I had a great time bonding with FBLA members. The closing ceremony was especially memorable to me, because my friends and I won more awards than expected,” Huh said.
FBLA’s State Leadership Conference will take place in Sacramento, California, from Apr. 25 to Apr. 28.