Pictured left to right is Brinleigh Bollant, Cora Healy-Dougherty, and Addison Bedward.
By Felix Wieczorek
From June 20 to July 2 the annual FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) National Leadership Conference was held in San Antonio, Texas, and held astounding outcomes for three Highland High School students. Addison Bedward, Brinleigh Bollant, and Cora Healy-Dougherty rose to an incredible 10th place team in the nation with their advisors Kari Smith and Katie Bedward, beating out over 100 other teams in the Financial Planning event.
FBLA is a nonprofit educational organization with over 200,000 middle, high school, and college members worldwide. Their mission is to “inspire and prepare students to become community-minded business leaders in a global society through relevant career preparation and leadership experiences.”
Addison, Brinleigh, and Cora competed in the Financial Planning event, which is one of 108 business related events that brought more than 2,100 schools and 16,000 middle and high school students and educators together to compete and learn, expanding connections and gaining new confidence and experience. This event creates a real life family scenario that teams have to understand and manage in order to meet the family’s financial needs and goals. Budgeting, saving, investing, and debt management all hold heavy sway in the process, and the final plan is shown to judges via a live presentation.
After making it to the round of 16 on Tuesday, June 30, Addison, Brinleigh, and Cora were announced to have achieved 10th place in the nation at the Awards Ceremony on Thursday July 2.
In addition to the competitions, over 200 learning workshops, and representatives from universities and businesses provided plenty of opportunities for students to expand their educational and practical business horizons, including Alzheimer’s Association, BusinessU, CLA (Clifton- LarsonAllen LLP), FICO, Funds2Orgs, Jostens, Kendra Scott, Men’s Wearhouse, the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, and U.S. Coast Guard.
The National Leadership Conference was more than just a competition; it was an experience that the participating students will carry forward long into their futures. The leadership, communication, and practical work skills that were required to achieve such high success are all vital aspects of creating a future where people like the Highland team are integral and positive beacons.
This national placement is a true testament to the students’ dedication to FBLA on the biggest stage, and their willingness to work hard and shoot for the stars. Congratulations Addison, Brinleigh, and Cora on your incredible accomplishment!
