State High is known for its vast array of clubs, and the Future Business Leaders of America, or FBLA, is the second largest club in the school. The club aims to help and prepare students for careers in business, finance, and information technology through academic competition, networking, and leadership development.
The state competition was held at the Hershey Convention Center from April 12-14. Of State High’s 133 members, the club took 92 to states, and 20 of those 92 participants qualified for nationals, beating last year’s numbers.
State High had 33 students place at states, with fourteen placing on the podium, including third-place David Ulmer, Baird Murray-Wright, Jack Rivera, Amber Yang, Yidi Zhang, and Bianca Canepari. For second place, it had Caleb Hatfield, Shiv Patel, Callie Robinson, Isabella Zeman, and Luke Alexander. Finally, the three students who were able to achieve first place consisted of Suhnjun Choi, Eeshan Pan, and Sergei Zhdonov.
Freshman Suhnjun Choi became a state champion in the Introduction to Parliamentary Procedure event and spoke on the preparation that led to him standing out against the rest.
“I read the manual of my guide, I did all the practice strategies listed on the event guide, I also made sure to search online and look through other schools’ websites, and reach out to people across the country to help me prepare for my event,” Choi said.
Junior Donovan Wales, the digital marketing officer for the club, spoke about the huge step it takes to compete at states versus the much smaller regional competition.
“The biggest difference is the atmosphere. At the state competition, we are able to grow in our fields, and there are about 5,000 students at states, so I’m able to meet a lot of new people, unlike regionals, where State High hosts it, and it’s a much smaller size difference,” Wales said.
Many FBLA students who went to states came home with plaques and a variety of awards. The 20 students who qualified for nationals in late June will be heading to San Antonio, Texas, at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center.
Leader in Training officer, sophomore Evan Koehle, attended the states as well and described the process that goes into preparing for such events.
“I competed in the service project event, and I prepared by making agendas months in advance and then acting on them throughout the year. There are two parts, a writing part about a 14-page paper that has more depth and detail on the project, and then we gave a brief 7-minute presentation,” Koehle said.
FBLA at State High offers something beyond traditional classroom learning: a chance to specialize in real-world skills, take ownership of personal growth, and connect with a rapidly expanding community of students with shared goals.
“It’s not even all about just business. It’s about building your leadership, building your social capabilities, and your presentational skills. It’s just like a practice run for real life,” Koehle said.
“I feel like you’ll be more focused on what you actually want to learn because there’s a plethora of events that allow you to basically master topics if you truly put in the effort and time,” Wales said.
This idea captures the core value that FBLA students aren’t just preparing for competitions, but developing confidence, expertise, and connections that extend well beyond the classroom.
