By Harshini Dinesh (‘23)
As course scheduling goes on, students may find themselves thinking about which careers or opportunities they want to pursue. They may also want to choose and join clubs that supplement their schoolwork in the 2021-22 school year. A prominent club in SBHS,
(FBLA), might be the right fit for students. FBLA is a club that encourages students to network, learn soft skills, volunteer in the community, participate in fundraisers, compete for awards, and learn leadership skills.
Last year’s president of FBLA, alumna Vamika Kommana detailed her experience with the club:
“FBLA provides you with the ability to explore many areas in what the business world can offer. Whether it be participating in conferences, competing, or being an active member in the chapter, there are so many ways that FBLA can properly prepare you for the ‘real’ business world. As a high school student, you can discover some of what your goals could be and work towards them into college. The mentorship and belonging you feel in FBLA will allow you to comfortably consider what really interests you. Properly use your resources and stay ambitious!”
Being a part of FBLA can help students make friends, let students enjoy themselves while learning new skills, and influence students’ decisions about their career paths. Students can take part in one of three activities in FBLA: Business Achievement Awards (BAA), Community Service Awards (CSA), and/or Competitive Events.
In BAA, students get a level and they must complete various activities to get the award for that level at the end of the year. For example, students competing in the Future level had to donate five hours of community service, prepare a social media graphic promoting FBLA, complete the FBLA Knowledge Quiz, create a TALLO online leadership profile, and more to get the Future Business Achievement Award. BAA participants start off with the Future level, then Business, then Leadership, and finally the America level.
In CSA, students get community service awards for completing various activities, fundraisers, and events that help out the community.
In Competitive Events, students go through testing and preparation to be able to present a topic at the state, regional, or national level. Although, students tend to stay in one of the aforementioned activities, they also have the option to switch their activity the following year.
Additionally, students can partake in many fundraisers and events that benefit our community. For example, FBLA hosted a Panera and Chipotle fundraiser where students could get a discount when buying from the aforementioned restaurants while donating some of their proceeds to FBLA. Also, one of FBLA’s most prominent fundraisers is the March of Dimes where students fundraise money and go on a march to help support mothers and babies. For students who want to be more involved in their community, participating in FBLA can help them achieve their goal.
FBLA is also a club that helps students build communication and leadership skills. Ms. Kommana had an excellent time leading the South Brunswick FBLA chapter last year. She was able to gain many new experiences and memories throughout her time with the chapter. Some of her best memories include working with others to plan events and meetings while on the officer board for three years, becoming President of SBFBLA, and competing and networking at the State and National levels of the Leadership Conference.
The FBLA advisors give thorough guidance to students pursuing a job in the business world. For all of the aforementioned reasons, joining FBLA is a great opportunity because it can truly open new doors for you. Students can even join FBLA in college, which is known as FBLA-PBL, so they do not need to worry about missing out on any opportunities. Students, take a moment to think about joining FBLA!
Comments