Thomas County Central High School Future Business Leaders of America chapter continues to dominate its region’s competition.

For the sixth consecutive year, the TCCHS program won the region title. It competed against 25 other counties in the FBLA Region 1 Leadership Conference and Competition, held Friday, Jan. 13 in Moultrie.

TCCHS FBLA members received top honors in the areas of publication design, graphic design, video, and various testing and business events. They took home 29 first place medals as well as placement medals in a variety of other categories (see list).

“The feeling is truly overwhelming and incredible at the same time,” club president Tyler Williamson said. “As president, you never want to be the one to lose the region title after all these years. However, it wasn’t me wining the crown; it was the whole chapter. They’re (the members) absolutely outstanding and worked incredibly hard for this. As president, I am absolutely thrilled over the success and I am so proud, but I was proud of everyone before they ever passed out awards. It’s an honor to lead such brilliant minds.”

Williams adds the club’s repeat success “shows how tremendously talented our chapter is,” proves how “long hours of hard work” pays off, and how the club works together as a “family.”

Member Brock Reid agrees. He said TCCHS FBLA is “like a second family.”

“We all get along very well and work with each other even better,” he said. “There’s always someone in our FBLA that will be there for you and will make sure to make you feel like you’re a part of something more than just a high school club. I’m extremely blessed and honored to be able to be a part of an organization that takes such pride in doing the best they can and proving themselves to others around them no matter the obstacle.”

Adviser Nicholas Haskin said, without a doubt, this could not have been done without the help of the club’s group of dedicated advisers as well as support from school and system administration. But, he adds, Friday was about the kids’ accomplishments.

“I could not be more proud of a bunch of students,” he said. “This day is about these students and what they were able to accomplish by putting in the work.”

This is Caleb Moore’s first year in FBLA. He joined due to his “yearning to become a better leader.”

“I feel that our FBLA chapter is the most proficient chapter and that’s why we earned and received a six-peat winning streak,” Moore said. “I say this not out of boastfulness but from facts and experience.”

Haskin said the yearly region event reminds him of past students’ successes, as well as how much the program has grown.

“I remember taking 10 or 15 students to region and hoping to qualify three or four of them for state,” he said. “Now, we arrive at Region 1 Leadership Conference and Competition with 72 competitors with expectations of moving at least 50 of them on to state.”

Gabby Hoffs placed first in intro to business presentation and advanced to state, an accomplishment she is very proud of considering it was her first competition.

“I will prepare by looking over the feedback from the judges to make sure it (her presentation) is the best it can be,” Hoffs said.

Reid placed first in banking and financial systems and second in future business leader. He chose these areas because he “had a firm understanding of what was required” and knew he would enjoy participating in them. Reid is “extremely happy” to qualify for state in both events and promises to work “several times harder” to ensure he qualifies for national competition in California.

Vice president Anna Jense said the chapter’s success “comes from the hard work of each and every individual.”

“It takes a ton of time and dedication to prepare for events and without the hard work of the students we definitely would not be the top chapter in the region,” she said. “We see other schools that outnumber us with 100 plus members, but because of our members’ desire to be the best, we come out on top.”

State competition will be held March 12-14 in Athens.

TCCHS FBLA REGION MEDALISTS

Huntley Rodgers: Accounting I (3), Marketing (6)

Riley Jones: Advertising (2), Electronic Career Portfolio (2)

Cara Eaton: Sports & Entertainment Management (6)

Natalie Wyatt: Advertising (4), Marketing (3)

Madi Johnson: Advertising (5), Marketing (3)

Bret Hendricks:  Business Calculations (2), Personal Finance (3)

Eli Kosciw: Business Calculations (3), Economics (8)

Hailey Ferrel: Business Calculations (4)

Jackson NeSmith: Business Calculations (8)

Kaitlyn Douglas: Business Communications (3)

Maggie Martin: Business Communication (1), Economics (5)

Drew Lloyd: Business Communication (9), Publication Design (1)

C’lee Kornegay: Business Communication (10), Emerging Business Issues (2)

Haley Newman: Business Communication (8), Emerging Business Issues (8)

Logan Herring: Economics (2), Sales Presentation (1)

Kenlie Harvey: Economics (10), Publication Design (1)

Brock Reid: Future Business Leader (2), Banking & Financial Systems (1)

Brooklyn Reese: Introduction to Business Communication (4), Public Service Announcement (1)

Langley Wooten: Introduction to Business Communication (9), Public Speaking I (3)

Dev Patel: Introduction to Financial Math (7), Help Desk (1)

Donny Jones: Introduction to Information Technology (2)

Ann Guo: Introduction to Information Technology (5)

Zach Goff: Introduction to Information Technology (7) Database Design App (2)

Ava White: Organizational Leadership (4), Personal Finance (6)

Lauren Pearson: Organizational Leadership (3), Marketing (3)

Hannah Dixon: Personal Finance (8)

Abigail Witcher: Personal Finance (10), Business Ethics (2)

Tyler Williamson: Business Plan (1), Website Design (1)

Anna Jense: Business Plan (1), Job Interview (1)

Steven Tran: Digital Video Production (1), Public Service Announcement (1)

Dakota Beever: Digital Video Production (1)

Marion Rose Young: Digital Video Production (2)

Kyle Clark: Digital Video Production (2), Public Service Announcement (2)

Kate Weaver: Electronic Career Portfolio (1), Graphic Design (3)

Jared Conley: Graphic Design (3), Website Design (1)

Savannah Barrett: Graphic Design (1)

Hayley Hoffs: Graphic Design (1)

Aaron Westbrook: Graphic Design (1), Banking & Financial Systems (1)

Ansley Jones: Social Media Campaign (1)

Erin Alford: Public Service Announcement (2), Sports & Entertainment Management (6)

Ellen Ponder: Social Media Campaign (1), Publication Design (2)

Faythe Choate: Social Media Campaign (2)

Caroline Fuller: Social Media Campaign (2)

Shivani Patel: Social Media Campaign (2)

Taylor Searcy: Computer Applications (1)

Abigail Jense: Business Ethics (2)

Sydney Sanders: Business Ethics (2)

Paul Funderburk: Client Service (1)

Vince Wynn: Impromptu Speaking (2)

Caleb Moore: Introduction to Business Presentation (1), Help Desk (4)

Gabby Hoffs: Introduction to Business Presentation (1), Management & Decision Making (3)

Bayli Williams: Global Business (2), Hospitality Management (1)

Kuldip Delada: Global Business (2)

Sanny Patel: Help Desk (5)

Tommy Tran: Help Desk (3), Management Information Systems (1)

Devon Green: Help Desk (7)

Beth Sharpe: Hospitality Management (1)

Madison Smith: Hospitality Management (1)

Tyler Carter: Management Decision Making (3)

Libby Hinckley: Management Decision Making (3)

Robert Scott: Management Information Systems (1)

Mary Alyssa Wills: Marketing (6)

Jade Moser: Sports & Entertainment Management (8)

Taylor Barrett: Sports & Entertainment Management (8)

Lexi Payne: Sports & Entertainment Management (8)

TCCHS STATE QUALITFIERS

Huntley Rodgers: Accounting I

Natalie Wyatt: Advertising

Riley Jones: Advertising

Maddie Johnson: Advertising

Brock Reid: Banking & Financial Systems, Future Business Leader

Aaron Westbrook: Banking & Financial Systems, Graphic Design

Eli Kosciw: Business Calculations, Economics

Kaitlyn Douglas: Business Communication

Hailey Ferrel: Business Calculations

Bret Hendricks: Business Calculations, Personal Finance

Maggie Martin: Business Communication, Economics

Anna Jense: Business Plan, Job Interview

Ava White: Personal Finance

Tyler Williamson: Business Plan, Website Design

Ansley Jones: Social Media Campaign

Ellen Ponder: Social Media Campaign, Publication Design

Madison Smith: Agribusiness

Sanny Patel: Partnership with Business Project

Dakota Beever: Digital Video Production

Hannah Dixon: Healthcare Administration, Personal Finance

Logan Herring: Economics, Sales Presentation

Bayli Williams: Hospitality Management

C’lee Kornegay: Business Communication, Emerging Business Issues

Faythe Choate: Social Media Campaign

Caroline Fuller: Social Media Campaign

Tommy Tran: Management Information Systems

Haley Newman: Business Communication, Emerging Business Issues

Drew Lloyd: Business Communication, Publication Design

Kenlie Harvey: Publication Design, Economics

Kate Weaver: Electronic Career Portfolio

Jared Conley: Website Design

Savannah Barrett: Graphic Design

Jackson NeSmith: Business Calculations

Sydney Sanders: Business Ethics

Hayley Hoffs: Graphic Design

Paul Funderburk: Client Service

Shivani Patel: Social Media Campaign

Ann Guo: Introduction to Information Technology

Abigail Jense: Business Ethics

Brooklyn Reese: Public Service Announcement, Introduction to Business Communication

Caleb Moore: Introduction to Business Presentation

Dev Patel: Introduction to Financial Math

Abigail Witcher: Business Ethics, Personal Finance

Langley Wooten: Introduction to Business Communication

Gabby Hoffs: Introduction to Business Presentation

Donny Jones: Introduction to Information Technology

Zach Goff: Introduction to Information Technology