For the ninth consecutive year, Thomas County Central High School Future Business Leaders of America chapter has earned the Georgia FBLA Region 1 Sweepstakes trophy.
“One of my students said it best, ‘Mr. Haskin, our region trophy went on a little field trip today" adviser Nicholas Haskin said. “I cannot be more proud of these amazing young women and men for repeating as region champions for the ninth year in a row!”
Fifteen other counties and numerous schools took part in the Region 1 FBLA Leadership Conference & Competition, held Jan. 18 in Moultrie, Haskin said. Other chapter members took competition tests earlier in the year to determine state eligibility. Members, ranging from freshmen to seniors, placed in multiple categories with 48 advancing to state competition.
TCCHS FBLA President Bryce Barwick, 16, is proud of her chapter and peers’ performance.
“I’m stoked our chapter won region for the ninth year in a row,” the junior said. “It shows how much our members have worked.”
Sophomore Emily Potter, 15, who advanced to state in e-business, agrees.
“I’m proud of TCCHS FBLA for continuing its winning streak, proving how determined we are here,” she said.
Potter appreciates how FBLA helps improve its members.
“I am in FBLA because it is an organization that builds character and inspires determination,” Potter said. “So far, it has helped me establish a network of friends and given me a sense of self-confidence.”
Haskin says the students are why TCCHS continues to be successful in this annual endeavor.
“Success is not an accident,” he said. “This ninth region crown belongs to the students. They are the ones who have spent the time studying, building and preparing for tests, submissions and performance events.”
Junior Kendajah Cummings, 17, and her partner, Barwick, earned first place in social media and advancement to state.
“We created social media accounts to promote Giving Tuesday, which FBLA would benefit from,” she said. “We constantly posted and kept up with the pages, making sure they match the criteria.”
Junior Zach Goff, 17, competed in help desk and publication design.
“For help desk, I took a test, and for publication design, I prepared a portfolio of publications such as business cards and letterheads for a made up school,” he said. “I was very proud of my placement because I was able to get first in publication design and second in help desk.”
FBLA is fun, Goff adds, and he’s in the chapter mostly because of the great students and advisers who make it an enjoyable experience.
“It’s helped me understand a lot more about what goes on behind the scenes in business,” Goff said.
Haskin says one theme that stands out this year is the chapter’s youth: currently, 31 of its members are freshmen making this the youngest chapter the school has fielded.
Freshman Ethan Nicoll, 15, competed in economics and intro to business math categories. He took a test for each one.
“I am excited I received second in economics because I was up against a lot of seniors who had taken the class,” Nicoll said.
Georgia FBLA Leadership Conference is March 21-24 in Atlanta. TCCHS FBLA members are already hard at work on upping their competition game.
Potter hopes to get more comfortable and know more about her presentation, as well as bring lively energy to state competition.
Goff says he’ll prepare for state by studying a ton for help desk.
Though excited for state, Cummings knows there is prep work ahead.
“We will refer back to the judges’ notes and improve our presentation in order to move forward,” she said.
TCCHS students who advanced to this leg of competition have the opportunity to earn slots in this summer’s national conference in Texas.
“Now, it is time to work hard and hopefully qualify as many as possible to compete at nationals,” Haskin said.
Region 1 FBLA Leadership Conference & Competition Placers
1st Place Finishers
Accounting (Elizabeth Nix)*
Business Plan (Madison Doughty, Ashlynn Hayes, Alex Speigner)
Electronic Career Portfolio (Kealie Bennett)*
Global Business (Madison Doughty, Ashlynn Hayes)
Graphic Design (Cayson Livingston, Beisy Lopez, Brighton Miller)
Hospitality Management--Individual (Kaitlyn Hudson)
Introduction to Business Communication (Alyssa Barlow)*
Management Information Systems (Jason Guo, Bryce Hannaford)
Network Design—Individual (Jonathan Strickland)*
Public Service Announcement (Christian Miranda, Dev Patel, Jonathan Strickland)*
Publication Design (Brandon Clark, Zach Goff, Sophia Kona)
Social Media Campaign (Bryce Barwick, Kendajah Cummings)*
2nd Place Finishers
Banking & Financial Systems (Kendall Alligood, Loxley Slocumb)*
Broadcast Journalism (Nate Bellamy, Caleb Moore, Parth Patel)
Business Communication (Jenaya Coleman)*
Digital Video Production (Clay Goff, Meg Harnevious, Kelly Pledger)*
Economics (Ethan Nicoll)*
Electronic Career Portfolio (Caroline Pope)
Graphic Design (Brandon Clark, Sophia Kona, Emily Potter)
Help Desk (Zach Goff)*
Introduction to Business Communication (Karsyn Bush)*
Network Design (Devon Green, Donny Jones, Austin King)
Parliamentary Procedure (Emily Bishop, Jenaya Coleman, Claire Pope, Alex Speigner)
Public Service Announcement (Kendall Alligood, Grace Parkerson, Loxley Slocumb)
Social Media Campaign (Gabby Hoffs, Brooklyn Reese)
Sports & Entertainment Management (Gabby Hoffs, Jade Moser)
Business Ethics (Kamryn Corbin, Kuldip Delada, Jade Moser)
Introduction to Business Presentation (Alyssa Barlow, Emily Bishop, Karsyn Bush)
Job Interview (Abigail Jense)
Public Speaking (Caleb Moore)
Sales Presentation (Hayes Barwick)
Future Business Leader (Abigail Witcher)
*denotes a state qualifier
Other State Qualifiers
Hayes Barwick
Emily Bishop
Nathan Blanchard
Sarah Carnes
Dawson Carver
Kamryn Corbin
Sarah Reba Deese
Kuldip Delada
Ann Guo
Kalique Guyton
Bryce Hannaford
Julia Harper
Taylor Hester
Gabby Hoffs
Donny Jones
Austin King
Sophia Kona
Alex Marquez
Caleb Moore
Savannah Moore
Jessica NeSmith
Grace Parkerson
Deep Patel
Claire Pope
Emily Potter
Brooklyn Reese
Jayla Rivera
Isaac Swope
Landon Trotter
Hanna Whittle
Abigail Witcher