Six Arkadelphia High School students took the opportunity to compete against Future Business Leaders of America throughout the U.S. this summer when they qualified for the national competition in Atlanta, Georgia.
Between competing in competitions at the local, district and state levels, the FBLA also had a busy school year with fundraisers — the 70-member team was able to donate some $12,000 to various charities, such as the UAMS Mammovan, Team Gleason, Ronald McDonald House, March of Dimes and the Arkansas Children’s Hospital. They also adopted four Angel Tree angels, held a food drive in November to send food home to students, provided two local families with Thanksgiving meals, and hosted a campus cleanup for Earth Day.
Of the overall team, 50 competed at the state level in Little Rock, with six qualifying for the nationals. They were Blaise Batson, Caiden Dickerson, Mtende Moyo, Naffaterria Horton, Emilee Young and Mychia Leatherwood.
The six Arkadelphia students were among roughly 14,000 high school and middle school students and advisors attending and competing on the national stage. All six local students competed in preliminary rounds, one of many rounds of competition.
The students showcased business leadership talents such as digital video production, graphic design, computer applications and a community service project. Though Arkadelphia’s FBLA has participated in national competitions in past years, adviser Ashley Wesley said that, to date, this was the most to qualify in a single year.
The team’s fundraising efforts, which included local donations and a Ross Foundation grant, funded their participation in the event, Wesley said.