Maryland Career & Technical Students Shine at FBLA National Leadership Virtual Competition
For Immediate Release:
Contact: Lora Rakowski
Lora.Rakowski@maryland.gov
Maryland Career & Technical Students Shine at FBLA National Leadership Virtual Competition
Record Number of Maryland Competitors Finish in National Top Ten
BALTIMORE (September 18, 2020) – Maryland’s Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) delegation brought home 26 medals from the National Leadership Online Experience (NLE) earlier this summer, given the cancellation of the in-person conference in Salt Lake City, Utah due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A team of the state’s most talented Career and Technical Education (CTE) high school students showcased their skills in 72 CTE competitive events. Demonstrating exemplary CTE training, Maryland students challenged 8,378 other student champions from 46 states, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, and several international competitors as well.
“In Maryland, we are committed to pairing academic knowledge and technical skills in order to empower our students for in-demand, high-skilled, and high-wages careers, and FBLA is an integral part of the State’s Career and Technical Education program,” said Karen B. Salmon, Ph.D., State Superintendent of Schools. “From sports & entertainment management to accounting and information systems, Maryland’s talented FBLA students continue to excel and stand out among their peers in this annual national showcase. Congratulations to all of our student participants and dedicated educators; thank you for making us Maryland proud!”
FBLA is a Career and Technical Student Organization (CTSO) that prepares students for careers in business and assists them to become better prepared for the world of work. FBLA helps students develop leadership abilities, prepares them for entry into business-related occupations, and offers a setting where members compete at regional, state and national levels in business and technology curriculum. Maryland FBLA has a statewide membership of 3,600 middle and high school students. Members have consistently demonstrated their expertise and professionalism while participating throughout the year in a variety of leadership and competitive conferences as well as community service projects.
The following students placed in the top 10 during the national competition:
Maryland FBLA National Top Ten – 2020 National Leadership Experience
2nd Place in Broadcast Journalism: Emily Lim, Julie Lawler, Keya Shah, Marriotts Ridge High School
2nd Place in Entrepreneurship: Ellen Li, Lynzee Louden, Mount Hebron High School
2nd Place in Management Information Systems: Adi Gupta, Love Patel, River Hill High School
3rd Place in Banking & Financial Systems: Pranav Bolla, Nicholas Venginickal, Nick Snyder, Mount Hebron High School
3rd Place in Partnership with Business Project: Michael Shutt, Blake Wanner, Thomas O’Brien, South River High School
4th Place in Sports & Entertainment Management: Tom Michaels, Vikas Reddy, Prakash Balasubramanian, Mount Hebron High
4th Place in Business Financial Plan: Caroline Finn, South River High School
5th Place in Computer Game & Simulation Programming: Steven Zhang, Allen Chen, Saimadhav Sakhamuri, Dulaney Senior High School
5th Place in Spreadsheet Applications: Brandon Brooks, Manchester Valley High School
6th Place in Personal Finance: Mary Samokhvalova, Applications and Research Lab
7th Place in Business Etiquette: Makaela Shomo, Plum Point Middle School
7th Place in E-Business: Tyler Kempton, South River High School
7th Place in Introduction to Parliamentary Procedure: Vivian Yao, River Hill High School
7th Place in Organizational Leadership: Nathan Goturi, River Hill High School
7th Place in Partnership with Business Project: Haley Lawson, Sophia MacDonald, Lucy Ramos, Northern High School
7th Place in Publication Design: Erica Metheny, Audrey Litman, Peyton McDonald, Allegany High School
8th Place in Computer Applications: George Trout, Chesapeake High School
8th Place in Elevator Speech: Catherine Polo, Plum Point Middle School
8th Place in Insurance & Risk Management: Leanne Rupp, Northern High School
8th Place in Local Chapter Annual Business Report: Andrew Roberts, Ryan Kosinski, North East High School
8th Place in Personal Finance: Sarah Foerster, Manchester Valley High School
8th Place in Spreadsheet Applications: Melanie Carter, Boonsboro High School
9th Place in Accounting II: Bradley Rodsk, Manchester Valley High School
9th Place in Global Business: Arianna Boja, Anoushka Sarin, Saniya Mahate, Mount Hebron High School
9th Place in Network Design: Lloyd Bolodeoku, Charles Murphy, Martins Okorie, New Town High School
9th Place in Website Design: Kathy Yao, Dulaney Senior High School
For more information about FBLA, please contact Kent Seuferer, Career Programs and Student Organizations, Division of Career and College Readiness, Maryland State Department of Education at kent.seuferer@maryland.gov or 410-767-0536.
Additional information can also be found on the Division of Career and College Readiness website (www.mdcteprograms.org) or the official FBLA Maryland website (www.mdfbla.org).
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2020.09.18 MSDE Press Release FBLA