CHS nets four champions at FBLA conference

Cheney High School Future Business Leaders of America students spent the latter part of their spring break competing at the State Business Leadership Conference in Bellevue, April 4-7. The Blackhawks had 44 members attend the conference and competing against other FBLA chapters from around the state.

In news release, CHS chapter adviser Adam Smith said "Twenty-five different students placed in the top 10 in state a total of 35 times, with 16 students placing first, second, third or fourth to earn automatic entry to the FBLA National Conference to be held June 29-July 2 in Baltimore, Md."

Megumi Call, JT Gasper, Rachel Suominen and Korinna Shaw all emerged as state champions in electronic career portfolio, introduction to technology concepts, business law and spreadsheet applications respectively. Call, Gasper and Suominen all placed in the top 10 in all four of their events, as did Keirsten Gasper and Amanda Stevens.

Three Cheney students placed in the top 10 in electronic career portfolio category: Call (first), Anya Howko-Johnson (second) and Evarosa Perry (fifth). Additionally, freshman Skyler Hanson placed in the top 10 three times.

Outside of competition, JT Gasper was elected as the Northeast Region's vice president and Cheney was given an award for the largest professional division and recognized as a Gold Seal Chapter for being in the top 10 percent of chapters statewide based on chapter involvement and achievements. Finally, Smith said Cheney's placing 35 times made them "the second most recognized chapter in the state."

Additional Cheney students who placed at state are Anna Arensmeyer, Stephanie Assonken, Juliane De Los Santos, Dylan Doney, Abigail Dotson, Alissa Empert, Thomas Funderberg, Steven Johnson, Holden McNaul, Marissa Mendoza, Clayton Murray, Lucy Nester, Hunter Pohl, Patrick Purviance, Jackson Schreiber, Rose Stevens and Isaac Strong.