FBLA Faired Well At State Competition

By Tanjua Damon

The Newtown High School chapter of Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) recently participated in the annual state competition to test students on their business abilities in categories including public speaking, interviewing, accounting, marketing, desktop publishing, and website development.

The local chapter has approximately 30 members and is advised by Pat Walsh and Melissa Robillard. Students Lynn Cupero serves as president, Caitlin Sullivan and Jackie Ruiz are vice presidents, Paula Mukwaya is the secretary, and Christina Andrews is the treasurer. The competition was held in Meriden on March 31 with more than 700 students in attendance. The students enjoyed the opportunity to see what they have learned as well as see what other high school students bring to their FBLA chapters.

The high school chapter brought home several awards from this year’s competition. Individual event winners included Lynn Cupero, second place in job interview; Justin Bass, fifth place in accounting; Edmund Breitling, third place in impromptu speaking; and Amy Doyle, fourth place in public speaking. Team event winners were Jackie Ruiz and Christina Andrews, third place for desktop publishing; and Adam Konneker and Edmund Breitling, third place for website development. Jackie Ruiz and Christina Feola were named Who’s Who in Connecticut FBLA. The chapter also was given a second place Outstanding Chapter Award based on its annual business report; were named a Gold Status Chapter; and were given a March of Dimes recognition for helping to raise money for that organization.

“This was an exceptional year for Newtown,” Ms Walsh said. “We had a bunch of enthusiastic, hard working students that really worked as a team.”

The students enjoy the opportunity to gain business experience that they can use while in high school as well as when they go on to college and out into the business world as adults.

“I like that my ideas are heard. It was actually hard for me to write about myself,” Amy said about the public speaking event. “I really tried to focus what I was talking about what I am trying to accomplish instead of what I have accomplished.”

Jackie felt her Senior Project of creating a logo for a company helped enhance the team project of creating a desktop publishing project, which she and Christina Andrews designed on the national FBLA theme of “Soaring to New Heights.” The students used an eagle with a red ribbon in its mouth to create their project for the competition.

Club members feel they gain skills in writing, speaking, organizing, and structuring ideas and projects as they take part in FBLA.