From Arkadelphia Public Schools
Students from Arkadelphia High School and Goza Middle School represented Arkadelphia Public Schools at the 2026 Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) National Leadership Conference held in San Antonio, Texas.
Arkadelphia High School qualified five members for national competition, with Brylee Russey and Raena Wheeler representing the chapter at the conference. Russey and Wheeler competed in Local Chapter Annual Business Report, highlighting the accomplishments and impact of the Arkadelphia High School FBLA chapter throughout the 2025-2026 school year. Russey also competed in Public Speaking.
In addition to competing on the national stage, the Arkadelphia High School chapter received national recognition for its outstanding achievements. The chapter earned the prestigious Gold Seal Chapter Award of Merit and was named the fourth-place National Gold Champion Chapter. The Champion Chapter program recognizes chapters that complete a comprehensive series of leadership, service, and professional development activities designed to strengthen local chapters. This year, 1,285 chapters from across the nation participated, and Arkadelphia High School earned a fourth-place national finish, placing the chapter among the top 10 in the country.
Goza Middle School also qualified five members for national competition, with Tiana Berry and Giselle Marroquin representing the chapter in San Antonio. Berry competed in Exploring Business Issues, while Marroquin competed in Exploring Public Speaking, demonstrating the leadership, communication, and career-ready skills developed through the chapter’s FBLA program.
The Arkadelphia High School chapter is led by adviser Ashley Wesley, while the Goza Middle School chapter is led by adviser LaKesha Berry.
Arkadelphia Public Schools extends its sincere appreciation to the many local businesses, organizations, and individual supporters whose generosity helped make the students’ national conference experience possible.
Congratulations to these outstanding students for representing Arkadelphia Public Schools, the City of Arkadelphia, and the state of Arkansas with professionalism, leadership, and excellence on the national stage.