The Mount Pleasant High School Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) members hosted the Area 6 Fall Leadership Conference on Oct. 29 on the MPHS campus. More than 390 students and advisers attended the workshop, making it one of the largest ever and surpassing last year’s attendance. In addition to the MPHS chapter, other high school chapters represented were Harts Bluff, Chapel Hill, Gilmer, Athens, Tyler High, Bullard, Robinson School of Business and Management, and Dallas Sunset, and the Mount Pleasant Middle Level chapter.

MPHS Principal Jason Adams, MPHS Career and Technology Education Director Jay Silman, MPHS FBLA Lead Advisor and State Board President John Whitten, and Area 6 State Vice President and State President Isaac Hernandez greeted and welcomed all the guests in attendance.

Sabrina Vaseleck, owner of local candle shop Ruby+Begonia, served as keynote speaker. Vaseleck served in the U.S. Air Force as an Intelligence Analyst after graduating from Pittsburg High School. She pursued college through her military service and eventually graduated magna cum laude from Texas A&M University-Texarkana. In the summer of 2020, Vaseleck’s mother, Pat, was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of cancer. During treatment, she shared that certain candles and fragrances were making her feel worse, sparking Vaseleck’s desire to create clean, better-for-you fragrances. She began learning about candle-making and experimenting while her mother was still with her. Her mother’s optimistic, colorful, and loving spirit remained a source of inspiration throughout her battle. She passed away on December 11, 2020. As Vaseleck worked through her grief, she continued immersing herself in candle-making as a way to honor her mother’s memory. Experimenting with waxes, wicks, and fragrances became a new passion, and her husband Brian built her a workshop where she could continue refining her craft. In August 2021, she launched Ruby + Begonia, named in honor of her mother’s nickname. What began with festivals and fairs grew into a charming storefront in downtown Mount Pleasant.

Students attended four workshops including “Towers of Texas”. “Brand Battles”, “Shark Tank” and “Impromptu Speaking.” MPHS FBLA will compete at the annual Area VI Leadership Conference on January 11 at the Region VIII Education Service Center.

The area leadership team includes John Whitten, State Board President and Area 6 Board member from Mount Pleasant. Isaac Hernandez, Area 6 State Vice President from Mount Pleasant, Camauri Myrick, Area 6 President from Mount Pleasant, Dianne Hernandez, Area 6 Vice President from Robinson School of Business and Management, Gabbie Ugalde, Area 6 Secretary from Chapel Hill, Molly Bloomer, Area 6 Historian/Reporter from Harts Bluff, and Leah Aniciete, Area 6 Parliamentarian from Chapel Hill. MPHS FBLA Advisers are John Whitten, Shanta Lockett, and Raquel Yanez.

Photos:

1: MPHS FBLA Adviser John Whitten (left) with keynote speaker and owner of Ruby + Begonia, Sabrina Vaseleck

2: MPHS FBLA members Rodrigo Rangel (left) and Aurian Peoples go over their notes before the presentation in Brand Battles

3: MPHS FBLA members work on their Shark Tank invention

4: FBLA Area 6 Leadership (L to R) John Whitten, Camauri Myrick, Dianne Hernandez, Isaac Hernandez, Leah Aniciete, Gabbie Ugalde, Molly Bloomer