FBLA: New club sees success

By Vanessa Chen, Staff Reporter

Nestled in a corner of the hallway is Room 245B, where students stayed after school to take a test for an upcoming competition. From events in business management to graphic design to public speaking and more, the newly founded Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) Club gives students a place to pursue their passion and learn valuable interpersonal skills with like-minded peers.

“FBLA goes beyond business knowledge. It’s a really great opportunity to compete in a competition that has varying skills,” said junior Sanveer Kashyap, the founder and president of the club. “The best way to describe it is diverse (because) there are so many opportunities to compete depending on what you want to do.”

Founded in 1937, the parent club’s mission is to inspire and prepare students to be leaders in their careers and society. Kashyap began coordinating with FBLA State Head Bruce Boncal and club adviser Ashley Sanei to start a chapter of the organization at ’Stoga about a year ago. The FBLA club officially began in October 2022, and has since grown to more than 30 participating members.

“It’s a really interesting and cool club because it’s not just one subject. You can have multiple different interests and skill sets, and you can all kind of shine in your own area while still being included in the club,” Sanei said.

On Dec. 14, students participated in the FBLA regional competition at Phoenixville Area High School, where members brought home 15 first place medals. More than 25 students qualified for the state leadership conference at Hershey Park from April 17-19, with 18 students winning final medals. After guiding her students, Sanei attributes their success to their hard work and dedication.

“It definitely has to do with a lot of confidence in their skills. We take a lot of time and dedication into preparing,” Sanei said. “Conestoga students are really good at having independence; I think a lot of times they know what they want. They will take the steps necessary (to succeed).”

Many regional participants were excited about their accomplishments. According to club treasurer and junior Andrew Yao, the competitions are valuable experiences for students exploring their interests.

“I feel like it’s a way for high schoolers to apply the information that they’ve been taught in class and actually experience what it’s like potentially (pursuing) a career in those topics,” Yao said. “By branching out and exploring more diverse topics and fields, (the students) can definitely see what they’re actually passionate about.”

Following their success, Kashyap feels greatly inspired by his peers and is optimistic towards both the upcoming state competition and the overall future of FBLA. Looking ahead, he hopes to expand the club to all students.

“This is our first year, so we’re kind of figuring out what works, what doesn’t work,” Kashyap said. “Hopefully, when people see success, they’re intrigued (and) they will want to join. So if states goes well, that’d be a really good opportunity to get a lot of people for the future.”

Vanessa Chen can be reached at [email protected].