Two Chadron State College students win at FBLA nationals
CHADRON – Two students from Chadron State College, Mekenna Fisher of Hershey, Nebraska, and Markus Ramsey of Minden, Nebraska, won championships at the 2023 Collegiate National Leadership Conference of Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) in Atlanta June 22-25. Five other CSC students placed in the top 10 at the national event that attracted more than 800 college students and educators from the U.S. for workshops and networking opportunities.
Nine Chadron State College students qualified to attend. However, last year’s chapter president Drew Kurtenbach could not compete due to an employment offer, according to Dr. Nic Fisher an FBLA advisor and Assistant Professor at Chadron State College.
The eight CSC students who attended were limited to competing in two events. They are Andrew Avila of Chadron, Makenna Cormack of Eaton, Colo., Mekenna Fisher, Liliana Foose of Burlington, Colo., Logan Parde of Ceresco, Colo., Ramsey, Eben Rosentrater of Paxton, Neb., and Phillip Soto of Scottsbluff, Neb.
Mekenna Fisher took home first place in Impromptu Speaking and eighth place in Organizational Behavior and Leadership. She competed three years at FBLA nationals in high school. She said she enjoyed the college-level experience and meeting interesting people like a 70-year-old woman who placed second in Impromptu Speaking.
Ramsey, the new CSC chapter president, took first place in Human Resource Management.
“It was really encouraging to see the potential future for our chapter. It’s the first time I've won at nationals and it really meant a lot, especially facing students from division one colleges,” Ramsey said.
The team of Ramsey and Rosentrater took fifth place in Hospitality Management, and Rosentrater took fifth place in Retail Management. The team of Avila, Cormack, and Soto placed third in Global Analysis and Decision Making. Parde placed third in Business Decision Making and 10th in Accounting.
Fisher said the experience of traveling across the country to compete against students from institutions in the Southeastern Conference, Atlantic Coast Conference, and the Big 10 was invaluable.
“To see our students stand toe to toe with others who had won their respective State Leadership Conferences and consistently move on to the championship rounds was edifying. The caliber of Chadron State's students and their application of business principles they have acquired at the Business Academy really shined,” Fisher said.
FBLA President and CEO Alexander T. Graham said he was proud of the student members who had worked diligently to prepare for the national competition.
“They impressed the judges with their mastery of competitive event subjects, made powerful new connections with employers and alumni, and demonstrated their readiness to enter the workforce,” Graham said.
Category: Business, Campus News