Bluefield State FBLA Students Earn Top Honors, Advance to Nationals
Bluefield State University business students brought home top honors from the West Virginia FBLA Collegiate State Leadership Conference, capturing 15 first-place finishes and continuing a strong run of success for the University’s Future Business Leaders of America chapter.
Competing April 23–24 at Eastern West Virginia Community and Technical College, the Bluefield State chapter was also recognized as the largest collegiate FBLA chapter in the state.
Several students will now advance to represent West Virginia at the National Collegiate FBLA Competition in June.
Bluefield State students earned first-place honors in leadership, communication, entrepreneurship, and technology events. Christian Yates led the way with wins in Future Business Executive and Organizational Behavior and Leadership, and as part of the first-place State of Chapter Presentation team with Nina Blankenship. Blankenship also placed first in Customer Service and Retail Management.
Myles Rice earned top finishes in Impromptu Speaking and Foundations of Entrepreneurship, while Kylie Salazar won first place in Community Service Project and Sports Management and Marketing. Additional first-place finishes included Jayden Hearn in Emerging Business Issues, Anthony Bright in Foundations of Technology, Natasha Jaramillo in Public Speaking and as part of the winning Entrepreneurship Pitch Contest team with Tru Segal, and Segal in Foundations of Communication.
“Our students demonstrated exceptional professionalism, preparation, and leadership throughout the conference,” said Dr. Tabitha S. Young, advisor for FBLA Collegiate at Bluefield State University. “Their success reflects the work they put into their coursework and competitive preparation, along with the support of the W. Paul Jr. Cole College of Business.”
Bluefield State University President Dr. Darrin Martin said the chapter’s continued success reflects the University’s growing momentum.
“The continued success of our FBLA chapter speaks to the culture of excellence we are building across campus,” Martin said. “These students are developing the skills and professionalism that today’s workforce demands, and we are proud to see them represent Bluefield State and West Virginia at the national level.”
Students were accompanied by advisors Dr. Young and Dr. Joel Vance, along with leadership from the W. Paul Jr. Cole College of Business.
The conference theme, “Decisions. Decide. Destiny,” emphasized leadership and professional development, areas where Bluefield State students stood out throughout the competition.
