More than 375 Nebraska students, advisers, and guests recently attended the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) National Leadership Conference in San Antonio, Texas. Nebraska FBLA members competed June 29-July 2 in 72 events. More than 9,500 FBLA members from 46 states, U.S. territories, and international chapters attended the conference.
During the conference, members participated in leadership workshops, competitive events, and toured San Antonio. This year’s theme was “Create. Lead. Inspire.” Nebraska members brought home 22 Top 10 awards.
The Top 10 award winners are:
First Place:
- Kimberly Frey, Elkhorn Valley High School – Accounting I
- Elsie Magwire and Joseph Hiatt, Boyd County High School – Business Plan
- Isaac Fausett, Grand Island Career Pathways Institute – Help Desk
Third Place:
- Regan Alfs, Shickley High School – Business Plan
- Mitchell Lierman, West Point-Beemer High School – Journalism
- Madison Brennfoerder, Garrett O’Flaherty, and Jaidyn Spoon, Arlington High School – Partnership with Business Project
Fourth Place:
- Ben Nannen, Syracuse-Dunbar-Avoca – Electronic Career Portfolio
Fifth Place:
- Alex Saathoff, York – Public Speaking
- Wyatt Ehlers, Jack Hirschfeld, and Max Tomes, Centennial – Virtual Business Management Challenge
Sixth Place:
- Kevin Coffey, Crete – Emerging Business Issues
Seventh Place:
- Braden Myers, Fillmore Central High School – Accounting II
- Adrianna Smith, Kyrsten Whelan, and Maya Nachtigal, Aurora High School – Business Ethics
- Colin Hoatson and Morgan Burke, Sutherland High School – Hospitality Management
Eighth Place:
- Colton Monnier, Heartland High School – Economics
- Nick Starns, Ashland-Greenwood High School – Securities and Investments
- Tanner Pittman, Kirk Rangel, and Alek Timm, Arlington High School – Sports and Entertainment Management
Ninth Place
- Colin Hendrickson, Platteview High School – Introduction to Business Procedures
- Isabella Cao, Kearney High School ; Jency Starr, McPherson County High School; Logan Parde and Scott Tvrdy, Raymond Central High School – Parliamentary Procedure
Tenth Place
- Baden Brumbaugh, Clara Larson, and Leah Larson, Bellevue West High School – American Enterprise Project
- Divith Rajagopal, Lincoln East High School – Impromptu Speaking
- Mekenna Fisher, Hershey High School – Introduction to Business
- Nick Hutsell, Halle Nachtigal, and Hannah Pedersen, Aurora High School – Social Media Campaign
The following students were Top 15 finalists:
- Emily Kraemer, Kirk Rangel, and Alek Timm, Arlington High School – American Enterprise Project
- Maya Nachtigal, Adrianna Smith, and Krysten Whelan, Aurora High School – Business Ethics
- Hayden Ernst, Andrew Meyer, and August Pope, Elmwood-Murdock High School – Business Ethics
- Tyson Kaiser, Drew Munter, Wausa High School – Digital Video Production
- Hunter Pehrson and Brian Potts, Laurel-Concord Coleridge High School – Management Information Systems
- Hannah Mitchell, Aurora High School – Sales Presentation
Other national awards included:
First Place:
- Wausa High School – Market Share Nationally and Mountain Plains Region
Second Place:
- Sandhills Public School – Market Share Mountain Plains Region
- Largest State Chapter – Mountain Plains Region
National Business Achievement Award – America Level
(top award in this four-level program)
- Emily Kraemer, Arlington High School
- Dustin Hovanec, Blair High School
- Joel Murch-Shafer, Blair High School
- Sydney Atkinson, Boyd County High School
- Haley Weber, Dorchester Public School
- Olivia Sis, Dundy County Stratton High School
- Anthony Zaner, Gretna High School
- Gabe Stolinski, Gretna High School
- Serena Wilson, Gretna High School
- Kelbie Schnieder, Raymond Central High School
National Community Service Award – Achievement Level
(top level in this three-level program)
- Alek Timm, Arlington High School
- Andrea Gonzalez Pena, Bellevue West High School
- Brianna Hill, Bellevue West High School
- Joel Murch-Shafer, Blair High School
- Emma Stahlecker, Boyd County High School
- Jacey Hilkemann, Boyd County High School
- Sydney Atkinson, Boyd County High School
- Kylee Wilson, Elmwood-Murdock High School
- Serena Wilson, Gretna High School
- Pranav Rajan, Lincoln East High School
- Emma Johnson, Omaha Marian High School
- Shruthi Kumar, Omaha Marian High School
- Madison Parde, Raymond Central High School
- Robert Badura, Roncalli Catholic High School
- Bryan Zutavern, Sandhills High School
- Carlie Collier, Sandhills High School
- Kamrin Edmonds, Wilber-Clatonia High School
- Seth Vlasak, Wilber-Clatonia High School
National Recognition Event Winners
- Alek Timm, Arlington High School – Who’s Who in FBLA
- Peggy Parker, Dundy County Stratton High School – Nebraska Outstanding Local Chapter Adviser
- Nickole Sis, owner of Seize the Daisy in Benkelman, Nebraska National Businessperson of the Year
Gold Seal Chapter Award, Merit
- Arlington
- Ashland-Greenwood
- Bellevue West
- Blair
- Boyd County
- Centura
- Chadron
- Dundy County Stratton
- Elmwood-Murdock
- Fillmore Central
- Gibbon
- Kearney
- Omaha Marian
- Raymond Central
- Sandhills
- Sargent
- Syracuse-Dunbar-Avoca
- Tri County
- Twin River
- Waverly
- Weeping Water
- Wilber-Clatonia
Nebraska FBLA inspires and prepares students to become community-minded business leaders in a global society through relevant career preparation and leadership experiences. Nebraska FBLA is supported through the Nebraska Center for Student Leadership and Expanded Learning at the Nebraska Department of Education.
