
FBLA advisor and teacher Nicole Cochran from Vail Academy and High School, along with (left to right) Liam Gannon, Colin Massingill, and Austin LeBlanc.
The Arizona Future Business Leaders of America State Leadership Conference was held at the Westin La Paloma on April 17-19th. Vail students received an award from the American Enterprise Project. Local students coordinated economic lessons to be taught to grade school students. The team was awarded second place at the State Leadership Conference and will be presenting at the National Leadership Conference in Anaheim, CA. Future Business Leaders of America members also participated in a community service project coordinated by Emily Deitz and Ceci Kimball. In the project, students made “Blessing Bags” out of old t-shirts by cutting the neckline and sleeves off and sewing the bottom. The scrap pieces were used to make dog toys, and the bags were filled with items that a homeless person might need.

Psalm Davis and Sarah Garcia both placed first in graphic design and in business leadership, and Psalm placed second in economics for the Region Once Conference in February. Psalm and Sarah placed second in the state conference.
The middle level FBLA team was recognized as a chapter of the Middle Level American Enterprise Project and a Community Service Project. This project included a lesson teaching the students appropriate writing styles for business, including memos and business letters. Each student picked a local business and wrote to them about their experiences in FBLA. The Middle Level Community Service Project involved tie-dying children’s sized shirts and donating them to a battered women and children’s shelter. The students also brought in small toys to make gift bags to donate.
In all, sixteen students are going to the national conference. For more information regarding the conference and the programs and events of the AFBA, visit the Arizona Future Business Leaders of America website at http://www.azfbla.org/

Students making “Blessing Bags” for the homeless and dog toys.