July 7, 2021 – More than 12,000 participants from 47 states and 9 countries convened online for the Future Business Leaders of America-Phi Beta Lambda (FBLA-PBL) 2021 National Leadership Conference. The event, which connected middle school, high school, and collegiate level students through competitive events, leadership sessions, and networking, provided students with the collective opportunity to win more than $110,000 in cash awards.
St. Teresa High School sent three students to compete at the National event. Brandon Kurecki, Senior, Emma Stoneburg, Junior, and Madison Prasun, Junior. Brandon competed in the Future Business Leader event. Emma Stoneburg competed in Client Services and Madison Prasun competed in the Electronic Career Portfolio. This was Emma and Madison’s first time qualifying for the National event. Brandon competed previously in a different event.
On July 2, FBLA-PBL’s Awards of Excellence ceremonies for the FBLA high school division occurred. Brandon Kurecki was announced as National Champion.
Brandon Kurecki was award first place in the most prestigious event in FBLA, the Future Business Leader. It is the most prestigious because it is the name of the organization and the most intensive. This is Brandon’s first National Championship. The Future Business Leader event required Brandon to take a 100-question comprehensive exam regarding business covering topics such as accounting, parliamentary procedure, law, and finance. In addition, he had to turn in a cover letter and resume that was scored for professionalism and accuracy. For preliminaries, Brandon had to sit through a ten-minute interview whereas for finals it was a twenty-minute interview.
“If Brandon were an athlete many professional teams might have recruited him in high school, businesses who are looking for outstanding individuals, might want to recruit him early for an internship or more. He has the problem solving, soft skills, integrity, and communication skills that any business would want” said Sandra Bronson, Illinois FBLA State Adviser, and the St. Teresa High School local adviser. The National Awards Program, better known as competitive events, FBLA-PBL’s program that recognizes and rewards excellence in a broad range of business and career-related areas. For many students, the competitive events are the capstone activity of their academic careers.
The NLC featured 74 events at the high school level, 60 events at the collegiate level, and 9 events at the middle school level. Events were modified to accommodate the online experience. FBLA-PBL has forged partnerships with industry leaders to underwrite competitive events and scholarships for students achieving national ranking.
