.jpg "FBLA students in business attire pose for a celebratory photo in a modern hall. Most are standing in a line wearing gold medals, while two individuals lounge playfully on the floor in front. A bright screen with a white \"KC\" logo is visible in the background.")
The Grain Valley Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) chapter is off to a hot start after an impressive showing at the district competition.
FBLA is a national nonprofit education association that offers students opportunities to explore and prepare for careers in business through real-world learning, partnerships, projects, and competitions. The Missouri chapter of FBLA currently has 12,000 members and more than 450 chapters, making it the second largest in the nation.
The District Leadership Conference (DLC) allows students throughout the state to showcase their work and compete against other school districts in hopes of qualifying for the state competition. This year, the District 4 DLC was hosted at the University of Missouri–Kansas City and featured 39 schools from Jackson, Platte, and Clay counties.
The Grain Valley FBLA chapter exceeded previous benchmarks and broke four district records. As a chapter, the team received 33 medals and qualified for the state competition in 18 different events. There were 10 first-place medalists, and junior Jonah Ayers qualified for state in all three of their events while also winning the District 4 position of Vice President of Communication.
The qualifiers will now head to Missouri State University on April 12–14, where they will compete against other top finishers from across the state. If they secure a top-four placement, they will advance to the National Leadership Conference in San Antonio, TX, this June.
Congratulations to the following students for their hard work and dedication!
Presentations & Role-Play
- Future Business Educator: 1st - Jonah Ayers
- Future Business Leader: 1st - Jonah Ayers
- Public Speaking: 1st - Vivian Warren
- Visual Design: 1st - Kaylyn Palmer, Drake Ferrell, Addyson Tuttle
- Digital Video Production: 2nd - Blake Hurley
- Social Media Strategies: 4th - Patrick Franks, Trent Kenig
- Job Interview: 4th - Chase Chaffin
- Introduction to Social Media: 5th - Abigail Cairns, Payton Patrick
- Sports & Entertainment Management: 5th - Camden Simmer, Kaylyn Palmer, Reese Page
- Marketing: 5th - Drake Ferrell, Patrick Franks
Objective Tests
- Business Communications: 1st - Chase Chaffin
- Business Law: 1st - Chase Chaffin
- Computer Problem Solving: 1st - Camden Simmer
- Introduction to Business Concepts: 1st - Luis Lara-Dolan
- Journalism: 1st - Isabella Hanover
- Insurance & Risk Management: 2nd - Camden Simmer
- Securities & Investments: 2nd - Drake Ferrell
- Introduction to Marketing Concepts: 3rd - Brooklynne Stephens
- Introduction to Retail & Merchandising: 3rd - Charley Pemberton-Wells
- Real Estate: 3rd - Kaylyn Palmer
- Business Communications: 4th - Vivian Warren
- Computer Problem Solving: 4th - Jonah Ayers
- Business Communications: 5th - Trent Kenig
- Human Resource Management: 5th - Reese Page
- Introduction to Marketing Concepts: 5th - Landry Lyford