For students who are planning on pursuing a potential career in management, entrepreneurship, computer science and other business fields, Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) is the club to join. With over 520 members across all grades, Lambert’s FBLA chapter is one of the largest in all of Georgia. As an established organization, FBLA offers many opportunities for middle school and high school students. Most schools don’t offer leadership positions to freshmen. Particularly at Lambert, students can participate in leadership roles, starting from their freshman year, which can be a great asset to have when applying for higher level leadership positions.
“Freshman should be more involved with FBLA because it is an excellent opportunity to start gaining experience and getting a feel for what it is like to be in FBLA,” Freshman Officer Ethan Baek stated. “Freshman year is a great time to explore and use FBLA’s vast resources, as it will be very helpful in FBLA-related events and other environments where communication and public speaking are essential. It’s also an excellent time to connect and get to know other members of the club.”
FBLA also offers countless opportunities to earn membership points by participating in schoolwide challenges, fundraisers, and activities. The membership points system helps quantify each student’s involvement in the organization. In addition to earning membership points, participating in these events can help students develop their leadership and communication skills. Engaging in these events can help students network with others who share similar interests and skills.
“Some of the best ways freshmen can maximize their leadership is competing in events at Regional Leadership Conference, State Leadership Conference, and the National Leadership Conference alongside participating in other FBLA activities throughout the year,” Freshman Officer Shruthi Shankar said. “Some of our upcoming events include Trunk or Treat and the October Boo Bash for spooky season, both events are this coming Saturday. We are also preparing for RLC; Registration is open now!”
Despite the large population of the Class of 2027, freshman students in the organization have found several ways to make the most of their membership by participating in various competitions. FBLA as an organization allows students to participate in various different categories or events including Business Ethics, Computer Applications, Public Speaking, etc. Many long-time FBLA members who started in middle school have gained insights into how FBLA events are structured and how to better prepare for competitions. However, new members are encouraged to join at any point during their high school career.
“I hope to make it to the national level and compete just to show the Class of 2027 that it is possible to swim with the bigger sharks (sophomores, juniors, and seniors),” Freshman Officer Charithra Julapally stated. “All you need to win at the highest levels is hard work and dedication!”
