Seventy-six Mount Pleasant High School members of Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) competed at the State Leadership Conference at the Kalahari Resort in Round Rock on February 23-25 with 10 students qualifying for Nationals and two additional students named alternates. The conference featured 2,554 in attendance with 2,200 of those being high school students. The remaining included board members, advisors, guests and middle school students, an increase of 600 students from the year before.

Those advancing to Nationals, their events, and their places at state include:

American Enterprise Project: Gopi Amin, Diya Desai, and Cinthya Ramirez (1st)*

*The team earned a perfect score of 100 in the prejudged portion

Computer Game and Simulation Programming: Isabella Furnish, Aloani Laboy and Charity Prater (3rd)

Business Ethics: Kate Ball, Evan Cota and Tanner Marshall (4th)

Accounting 1: Jose Gonzalez (4th)

Help Desk: (alternate) Patricia Gonzalez (5th)

UX Design: (alternate) Julian Chancellor (5th)

The following were recognized as state finalists for making the top 10 in their events:

Advertising: Camauri Adams (9th)

Financial Math: Luke Thurman (6th)

Graphic Design: Rachel Albin, Zoey Cato and Addison Herren (8th)

Introduction to Business Procedures: Trisha Easley (6th)

Network Design: Alston Jeff (10th)

UX Design: Samuel Chappell (8th)

Website Coding and Development: Makayla Mather and Aidan Perez (8th)

Other awards and honors included senior, Xitlaly Sanchez, who was recognized as the Who’s Who award recipient for the MPHS chapter. Junior, Alessandro Greco, was elected the State Area 6 Vice President, becoming the fourth-ever representative from MPHS. Outgoing Area 6 Vice President, senior Diya Desai, was recognized on stage with a plaque and remembrance video.

Recognized at the Area 6 meeting were State Board President/Area 6 Board Member, John Whitten, outgoing President, Gopi Amin, outgoing Parliamentarian, Alessandro Greco, incoming President, Jennifer Luna, and incoming Parliamentarian, Wendy Valdez.

Also recognized on stage and receiving gift cards for taking 1st place in the FBLA Goosechase scavenger hunt were the Mount Pleasant teams of Gopi Amin and Cinthya Ramirez and the team of Michelle Sandoval and Yahaira Pina.

“It was a great experience for our FBLA chapter with 10 National qualifiers and two alternates,” said lead advisor, John Whitten. “Our students have worked countless hours after school and away from school since September preparing for this opportunity. Each and every year, I am excited to see students as they get to stand on stage in front of their peers across the state and now get the opportunity to showcase their work on the national level. It has been a great year for MPHS FBLA, and we are looking forward to the challenges that come with Nationals in Anaheim.”

The FBLA National Leadership Conference is set for June 29-July 3 in Anaheim, CA. MPHS FBLA advisors are Whitten, Shanta Lockett, and Jack Jones.

Photos:

1. Computer game: Computer Game and Simulation Programming National qualifiers (L to R) Charity Prater, Aloani Laboy, Isabella Furnish, and FBLA Advisor John Whitten

2. Business ethics: Business Ethics National qualifiers (L to R) Tanner Marshall, Kate Ball, Evan Cota and FBLA Advisor John Whitten

3. American enterprise: American Enterprise National qualifiers (L to R) Diya Desai, Gopi Amin, FBLA Advisor John Whitten (not pictured Cinthya Ramirez)

4. Accounting: (L to R) National alternate Julian Chancellor, Accounting national qualifier Jose Gonzalez, National alternate Patricia Gonzalez, FBLA Advisor John Whitten