For the City Times

NEKOOSA – Four Nekoosa FBLA students will advance to the virtual National Leadership Conference, following State Leadership Conference performance.

“COVID-19 has made for many changes, that includes impacting student organizations like Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA). The Nekoosa chapter of FBLA has felt the changes first hand when they entered the competitive events season in February for their Regional Conference and then again in April for the State Leadership Conference,” a Nekoosa FBLA release stated.

“No longer were students able to travel across the state to compete with their fellow business students, but instead virtual conferences were held. Even though competition was held virtually, the Papermaker chapter continued the success that has been the norm for the chapter over the years.”

The State Leadership Conference was held in April. Nekoosa FBLA members took part in breakouts while social distancing and masking in the school auditorium. All competitive events were completed ahead of the day so results could be shared at the completion of the virtual experience.

Four Nekoosa students advanced: Rebecca Black, senior, qualified for her second NLC with a fourth place finish in Business Communication; Bruce Khang-Brostowitz and Danial Harnisch, seniors, will compete at nationals for the first time with a third place finish in Management Information Systems, and Sierra Andrews, senior, finished second and will advance in Future Business Leader.

Other finishes for the chapter include: fifth place-Local Chapter Annual Business Report by Elise Waltenberg, Rebecca Black, Sierra Andrews, and Lilly-Jo Stojak; sixth place-Banking and Financial Systems by Brandon Swensen and Nathan Swensen; seventh place—Community Service Project by Elise Waltenberg, Rebecca Black, Sierra Andrews, and Lilly-Jo Stojak; seventh place-Intro to Event Planning by Autumn Andrews and Alexa Boerboom.

Nekoosa also received several special recognition awards during the conference, including being named a Gold Seal Chapter.

Lilly-Jo Stojak was sworn in as the 2021-2022 Region II vice president and will spend the next year serving Wisconsin FBLA and hosting the Regional Leadership Conference at Nekoosa High School in February.