Waukon High School Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) Chapter places second at State Leadership Conference

The Waukon High School Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) Chapter continued to prove itself as one of the top chapters in the state of Iowa with a second-place finish at the FBLA State Leadership Conference held in Coralville March 28-30. The Waukon chapter claimed more than 60 award-winning finishes by its members within the top six of a variety of project and testing competitions, including 13 event championships.

The annual State Leadership Conference is an opportunity for students to compete against other students from around the state of Iowa in various business-related tests, presentations and speeches. Many projects were done throughout the past couple of months and then presented to judges at the Conference. Events also included case studies and written tests.

The event is scored much like a track meet, with first-place finishers scoring the most points, and so on. The Waukon High School FBLA chapter has finished either first or second in that Chapter of the Year competition in each of the past nine years, including back-to-back state championships in 2015 and 2016.

In addition to the competitions and other activities at the annual conference, the Waukon High School FBLA Chapter also made a pair of stops to complete community service opportunities as part of their FBLA membership. On their way to the conference, about half of the chapter’s 85 students attending the conference helped out at the Northeast Iowa Food Bank and the other half did likewise at the Aspire Therapeutic Riding Center, both in Waterloo.

Also taking place for the Waukon chapter during this year’s conference was the recognition of two members who completed their respective terms in office within the Iowa FBLA hierarchy. Senior Mary Vander Velden was recognized for completing her term as State Secretary and junior Katelyn Benzing also received recognition for completing her term as Region 1 Vice President.

The top-end finishers in each competition from the State Leadership Conference now have the opportunity to advance to the National Leadership Conference slated for the end of June in San Antonio, TX. A total of 22 Waukon chapter students will be participating in that National Leadership Conference.
Event placewinnings earned by the Waukon High School FBLA chapter members at this year’s State Leadership Conference include the following:

FIRST-PLACE FINISHES
3-D Animation - Justin Strub and Logan Van Ruler
Accounting II - Maddie Ellingson
Digital Video Production - Denzel Decker, Skylar Garrett, Maddy Waters
Introduction to Business Presentation - Brinley Jones and Ella O’Neill
Introduction to Parliamentary Procedure - Walker Hermeier
Introduction to Public Speaking - Bailey Shafer
Mobile Application - Ethan O’Neill, Avery Rocksvold, Joe Schwartz
Spreadsheet Applications - Hunter O’Neill
Local Chapter Annual Business Report
Random Acts of Kindness Report
Battle of the Chapters - Regan Griffith, Delaney Nagel, Bailey Shafer
Battle of the Chapters Advanced - Katelyn Benzing, Alyx Ede, Maddie Ellingson
Business Terminology - Kylie Cahalan

SECOND-PLACE FINISHES
3-D Animation - Connor Stegen
Accounting II - Alyx Ede
Banking and Financial Systems - Maddie Ellingson, Annika Headington, Margaret Wacker
Coding and Programming - Braden Hemann
Introduction to Parliamentary Procedure - Kylie Cahalan
Management Information Systems - Robbie Drew
Spreadsheet Applications - Madalyn Palmer
NLC T-Shirt Design - Denzel Decker and Emma Roe
Vocabulary Relay - Bridget Duncklee, Alexis Hogan, Ashley Liddiard

THIRD-PLACE FINISHES
Client Service - Delaney Nagel
Digital Video Production - Alyssa Delaney and Hannah McCabe
E-Business - Denzel Decker, Emily Kolsrud, Emma Roe
Emerging Business Issues - Olivia Byrnes, Bailey Shafer, Maddy Waters
Impromptu Speaking - Delaney Nagel
Journalism - Mary Vander Velden
Marketing - Lauryn Behrend, Leah Bulman, Lauren Griffith
Networking Concepts - Sawyer Krueger
Public Speaking - Katelyn Benzing
Publication Design - Michaela Dehli
Social Media Campaign - Hailey Bresnahan and Bridget Duncklee
Word Processing - Katelyn Benzing
Partnership with Business - Olivia Byrnes, Ella Hermeier, Mia Strub
Business Terminology - Daniel Gruman

FOURTH-PLACE FINISHES
Computer Applications - Brady Beyer
Electronic Career Portfolio - Ashley Liddiard
Introduction to Business Communication - Brinley Jones
Personal Finance - Michael Headington
Battle of the Chapters - Nick Goltz, Ethan O’Neill, Joe Schwartz
Spelling Relay - Olivia Byrnes, Ella Hermeier, Mia Strub
Spelling Relay Advanced - Maddie Ahlstrom, Michaela Dehli, Brock Hatlan
Vocabulary Relay - Hailey Bresnahan, Maddy Palmer, Maddy Waters

FIFTH-PLACE FINISHES
Electronic Career Portfolio - Lainey Erdmann
Help Desk - Abby Shelton
Introduction to Financial Math - Maddy Palmer
Introduction to Public Speaking - Ryan Vander Velden
Public Service Announcement - Kylie Cahalan, Alexis Hogan, Lilly Kossman
Word Processing - Bridget Duncklee
Local Chapter Exhibit - Brenna Berns, Aubree Cota, Bailey Shafer

SIXTH-PLACE FINISHES
Computer Applications - Brenna Berns
Hospitality Management - Betsy Anderson, Olivia Byrnes, Ashley Liddiard
Introduction to Business Procedures - Ella O’Neill
Introduction to FBLA -  Alexis Hogan
Introduction to Information Technology - Vicente Quiroz
Job Interview - Brigid Berns
Management Information Systems - Brady Beyer
Personal Finance - Ella Hermeier
Securities and Investments - Braxton Stewart
Design of Publication - Hailey Bresnahan and Kenzi Marting
Social Media Campaign - Hayley Christensen and Skylar Garrett
Business Terminology - Hailey Fahey