Coal City FBLA named outstanding chapter

     Coal City High School's chapter of Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) received the Robert T. Stickler Outstanding Chapter Award during the 69th annual State Leadership Meeting.
    Members, advisors and guests from chapters across the state participated in the 2018 conference held April 6 and 7 at the Crowne Plaza in Springfield. The two-day conference, with “Elevate Your Future” as the theme, provided members an opportunity to expand their business skills and compete in over 60 events.
    Along with being recognized as an outstanding chapter, Coal City FBLA also received the state's Merit Gold Seal Award and Professional Division Membership Award. Additionally, five  chapter members advanced to compete at the National Leadership Conference.
    Coal City was represented at the conference by 23 members who competed in 13 different events. Twelve made their way to the stage as conference placers.
    For a second consecutive year, Preston Johnson advanced to national competition by earning a third place ranking in business ethics.
    Abigail Charles finished with a third place ranking in her chosen category of future business leader. She also earned a chance to compete at the national level.
    Jessica Murphy earned fourth place in graphic design and the team of Lilly Solt and Lindsay Stopka placed fourth in hospitality management. All three qualified for national competition as they were among the top four finishers in each event advance.
    FBLA’s National Leadership Meeting will be held June 28 to July 1 in Baltimore, Maryland.
    Coalers also taking the stage during the awards were Lauren Phillips and Nick Berta who took sixth place in broadcast journalism, the team of Arianá Pullara, Hannah Best and Lauren Cueller earned sixth place in digital video production, Ben Kreiger finished seventh in publication design and Dominic Curtis earned a 10th place finish in Accounting I.
    The state conference closed out Berta’s term on the FBLA State Executive Council. He served as Central Northern Area vice president.
    When not competing, members had a chance to attend educational workshops and tour the Old State Capitol building in Springfield.
    “Coal City’s FBLA chapter looks forward to finishing its year strong and returning to SLC next year with more competitors,” said Kreiger, the chapter’s reporter.
    FBLA is the largest student business organization in the world with more than a quarter of a million members. FBLA prepares students for real world professional experiences.
    The local chapter is advised by business instructor Harlan Kennell.