FBLA continues to help communities immensely; Members share goals, accomplishments

The Future Business Leaders of America, or FBLA, “is the high school division of a career and technical student organization (CTSO) dedicated to preparing students for careers in business,” according to the advisor of the FBLA, Victoria Bridges. 

    This organization has been around for 40 years and is currently teaching and educating 196,950 students in the U.S. and around the world about business, according to Bridges. She says that the FBLA’s mission is to “inspire and prepare students to become community-minded business leaders in a global society through relevant career preparation and leadership experiences.” 

     Bridges adds, “FBLA helps high school students prepare for careers in business through academic competitions, leadership development, [and] making new friends.” Junior Colette Rogers says, “I enjoy it because I can talk to other people that I have never met before.” She adds, “I plan to help others out and to learn more about business […] It is a way to meet new people and experience different types of business roles.” 

     Junior Piper Wright says, “I usually never joined clubs because I was never interested in them, but because I was already taking multiple business classes, I thought I should be a part of the FBLA.” 

      Senior Grace Herron says she joined, “in order to explore business related opportunities for a possible major in college.” Similarly, Wright adds, “[Business] was something I was interested in and [I] heard it was a fun club while it would also look good on college applications.” 

     Members of the FBLA organize things for North Harford. “We have gone over the beginning things and what we can do with our school to make it better,” Rodgers mentions, and organizations such as Toys for Tots, a program that distributes toys to children who don’t receive gifts for Christmas.

     Wright mentions, “we were discussing that this year FBLA is going to do Toys for Tots which I am very happy about because I like to give back to the community.” Along with Toys for Tots, “we do community service projects and many fun things.” Wright adds, “We also do competitions and hopefully my group and I can win some of those competitions.” 

     Herron says, “It’s been really great, I had a lot of fun making my competition video last year with my friends […] I competed with my friends Jackie and Jessica in the journalism competition last year, and I hope to do it again this year.” She adds, “It has opened my eyes to many business opportunities.”