The coronavirus delayed but couldn’t cancel the Georgia Future Business Leaders of America State Leadership Conference and Competition. Events not decided through testing conducted earlier in the year occurred via video and online submissions, concluding with a virtual ceremony May 3.
Twenty Thomas County Central High School FBLA chapter members placed with four qualifying to contend in this summer’s 2020 FBLA National Leadership Conference and Competition (see below).
“While I did know a few results ahead of time, most of the results had me on the edge of my seat, cheering on each of my students as the results came in,” TCCHS FBLA head advisor Nicholas Haskin said. “If we could have gone to Atlanta, we would have had 20 students walk across the stage to receive medals. Some students placed in their event against over 500 competitors! I am so proud of each of our students!”
Senior Jonathan Strickland is state champion in Coding & Programming, an event he also competed in last year.
“This is, without a doubt, one of the toughest events in the state,” Haskin said. “Jonathan was third in the state and the world in this event last year. This year, he is first in the state and is aiming for a national/international title!”
This category tasks students to develop software that solves a problem, Jonathan Strickland explains.
“This year, I was challenged to create a program to manage community service hours for a school system,” he said. “Moving on to this year, I had the advantage of knowing what key points the judges are looking for. I also found that my programming skills had majorly improved from last year's competition.”
Although FBLA members often do not have the opportunity to compete in the same event twice, Strickland jumped at the chance to do so this year and improve his placement and skills.
“I feel a sense of success in achieving my state goal, and I am excited to be moving on to nationals, as instead of just competing with people who are in the state of Georgia, I’ll be competing with people from all over the country,” he said. “I am excited to see how my project will do against the competition.”
The team of senior Zach Goff, sophomore Sophia Kona and junior Emily Potter earned third place and advanced to the national level in Local Annual Business Report. Goff and Kona competed in different categories at last year’s national competition, but this will be Potter’s first time.
“Local Annual Business report is an event where an individual or group is to submit a report, like a magazine, that highlights the chapter’s success and accomplishments from the year,” Emily Potter, 17, said. “This report features designing elements and editorial style reporting displaying our chapter.”
New to the event this year, Potter said she fell in love with it, working with her group and their created product.
“I am incredibly proud of my group’s placement at state and ultimately having the chance to compete on the national level,” she said. “Competing at nationals has always been a goal for me in FBLA, and I am excited to reach that level finally.”
FBLA competition begins at the region level, then progresses to state and finally national/international. Though there is no replacing an in-person state or national level experience, Haskin said, some TCCHS FBLA members improved their placement standing from last year or ranked in more than one event. Also, several freshman members placed in their category. With physical discussions not possible, most competitors had to record and submit an unedited presentation for judges to accompany their entry.
“We are so proud of the efforts and results of this young FBLA chapter,” Haskin said.
The 2020 FBLA National Leadership Conference and Competition scheduled to take place in Salt Lake City, Utah, will be developed into an online event by the FBLA and Phi Beta Lambda (college-level FBLA) organizations.
“This experience?will include?a general session?with?a?keynote presenter led by the 2020 officer teams,?leadership workshops,?competitive events, and?the?annual?election of our national officers,” Haskin said.
Potter said her group would prep for this leg of competition by focusing on judges’ feedback to enhance their report.
Strickland hopes to advance his placement on the national level.
“In all honesty, I would love to achieve first place at the national competition,” he said. “… It would be surreal to be able to achieve the national title; I want to feel as if I have done the best I can possibly do.”
TCCHS Georgia FBLA State Leadership Conference and Competition Placers
*Coding & Programming ~ 1st place ~ Jonathan Strickland
*Local Annual Business Report ~ 3rd place ~ Zach Goff, Sophia Kona & Emily Potter
Network Design ~ 6th place ~ Donny Jones & Jonathan Strickland
Securities & Investments ~ 7th place ~ Jason Guo
Business Financial Plan ~ 7th place ~ Emily Bishop, Dylan Conoley & Donald Davis
Publication Design ~ 8th place ~ Sophia Kona
Intro to Public Speaking ~ 8th place ~ Karsyn Bush
Electronic Career Portfolio ~ 8th place ~ Ashlynn Hayes
Intro to Information Technology ~ 9th place ~ Bishop Jackson
Graphic Design ~ 9th place ~ Kendajah Cummings & Emily Potter
Publication Design ~ 10th place ~ Kendajah Cummings
Electronic Career Portfolio ~ 10th place ~ Loxley Slocumb
Intro to Business Communication ~ 10th place ~ Campbell Smith
Coding & Programming ~ 11th place ~ Bishop Jackson