Nine Oxford Academy students competed in the 2023 National Leadership Conference (NLC) of Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), with three placing top ten in their events and one winning first place. From June 27 to 30, about 13,000 educators and middle and high school students competed for cash prizes in the over 100 events available in Atlanta, Georgia.
“It was great to see the success that our students had at NLC this year,” Oxford Academy FBLA Advisor, Michael Rylaarsdam said. “Having a national champion and multiple students place shows how amazing our Oxford students are.”
Competitors qualified for NLC by qualifying from tryouts, division, and state competitions which began in November 2022 — devoting plenty of time into preparing beforehand. Formats for these tests varied, from 100 question tests to live presentations.
“Before I went into the room and presented for the judges I felt super nervous. But as soon as I started speaking, I was in the zone. Before the speech, I did everything possible to win. I was determined. So when I was presenting, I wasn’t nervous. I was confident,” junior Ethan Cho said, the National Champion for Introduction to Public Speaking.
Oxford Academy FBLA intends to continue its streak at NLC this upcoming year, with a focus on gaining more competitors and beating FBLA’s rival Homestead High School. Co-President Victoria Tran is excited for what’s in store and particularly hopes to instill passion in competitors.
“Joining FBLA, I just felt like I started to grow this passion for leadership, for business,” Tran said. “With the help of my advisors, with the help of past presidents, they really pushed me. I learned that even if I don’t do well the first time, [I] should come back and try to succeed again.”
Tryouts for FBLA competitions are expected to begin in November of this year, and NLC 2024 is planned to be held in Orlando, Florida in 2024. In the meantime, FBLA gladly encourages students with any interests to attend their weekly meetings on Thursdays at lunch. Expanding beyond being solely competition focused, FBLA aims for a larger focus on diverse opportunities and engaging activities in business-related fields, allowing anyone — regardless of their competition status — to find passion in the club.
“FBLA is a club for everybody. Not just business leaders or people in the business pathway.,” Tran said. “Even if you can’t compete, you can learn a lot in our meetings. We’re open to everybody joining, [and] we try to give everyone an opportunity to compete, to travel, to learn, and have fun.”
