71 students from MMI Preparatory School competed in the Future Business Leaders of America Region 16 Leadership competition on Tuesday, January 6, at the Woodlands Resorts in Wilkes-Barre. The day consisted of business meetings, a luncheon, and competition as students competed for a spot at the Pennsylvania FBLA State Leadership Conference. Students who competed in objective test events and placed in the Top 6 advanced to the SLC, while students who competed in performance events and placed in the Top 3 advanced to the SLC. 55 of the 71 students from MMI (77% of MMI’s FBLA chapter) advanced and will move on to the next round in Hershey, PA, from Sunday, April 12 to Wednesday, April 15.
The students were guided by their FBLA Advisor, Mrs. Katherine Zucco, who shared, “I couldn’t be prouder of our 71 students who competed at the Region 16 Leadership Conference. With more than half of our Upper School participating, this year’s group truly demonstrated what it means to be leaders, collaborators, and problem-solvers. Our students challenged themselves across a wide range of events, and 55 of them earned the chance to compete at the state level. Watching them grow, support one another, and celebrate each other’s successes has been incredibly rewarding as their Advisor.”
The following students will compete in the state competition:
9th Grade: Stella Horvath (6th Place for Intro to Parliamentary Procedure); Lance Lipsi (2nd place for Intro to Business Communication); and Mikaela Mauna (5th place for Intro to Parliamentary Procedures).
10th Grade: Anthony Arias Tejeda (3rd Place for Intro to Retail & Merchandising); Jack Farrel (1st Place for Intro to Marketing Concepts); Calli Mason (3rd Place for Intro to FBLA); Patrick Moore (3rd Place for Intro to Business Procedure); Thomas Pantages (2nd Place for Intro to IT); Justin Park and Evan Polanco (3rd Place for Intro to Business Presentation); Andrew Pedri (5th Place for Intro to FBLA); Shreeya Parikh (4th for Intro to Business Concept); Derek Radzwich (6th place for Intro to Retail Merchandising), Jared Santana (6th Place for Intro to IT); Haden Stash (1st Place for Intro to Business Procedure); and Marissa Yamulla (1st place for Intro to Business Communication).
11th Grade: Yoreimy Aponte, Ruhani Shah, and Amanda Stoffa (3rd Place for Social Media Strategies); Katherine Arias, Alexa Fazio, and Sharon Zhuang (3rd Place for Visual Design); Philip Benyo and Ian Composto (1st Place for Business Ethics); Avari DeAngelo (6th Place for Human Resource Management); Nick Erikson (3rd Place for Personal Finance); Katelyn Gera (6th Place for Business Communication); Kenedy Lutz (3rd Place for Advertising); Ali Mehran (6th Place for Retail Management); Akshay Narayanashetty (5th Place for Journalism); Angelina Seeba (1st Place for Business Communication); and Delilah Yatsko (3rd Place for Business Law).
12th Grade: Cedrah Abdulrahman (4th Place for Marketing); Hasan Arain and Jozef Doviciak (1st Place for Banking & Financial Systems); Alexis Bleiler (4th Place for Project Management); J.T. Ferry and Joe Mayernik (4th Place for Hospitality & Event Management); Adam Frask (1st Place for Sales Presentation); Samantha Gatts (4th Place for Business Management); Ava Genetti (1st Place for Public Speaking); Ben Gombeda, Christian Schultz, and Jayden Unger (2nd Place for International Business); Gabe Horvath, Caleb Skuba, and David Yamulla (3rd Place for International Business); Cassidy McDermott (3rd Place for Business Communication); Yeleiny Panigua (3rd Place for Journalism); Sharan Parikh and Rishi Patel (1st Place for Business Management); Erica Schwear (2nd Place for Personal Finance); Arushi Solgama (1st Place for Human Resource Management); Georgia Washko (6th Place for Customer Service); and Madelyn Young (2nd Place for Data Science & AI).
Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) prepares students for careers in business and leadership by introducing them to the free enterprise system. Members develop skills in entrepreneurship, team management, and competitive performance as they engage in business-related activities and events. With over 200,000 students involved nationally, FBLA connects young people to a network of resources and opportunities for personal growth. Participation can have a direct and lasting impact on students’ future careers.
MMI’s Head of School, Mrs. Theresa Long, noted, “At MMI, we know that learning doesn’t only happen in the classroom. Programs like FBLA give students who are passionate about business a chance to explore, lead, and excel. Seeing so many of our Upper School students thrive in this kind of hands-on experience is exactly what makes MMI a place where every student can discover their strengths and pursue their interests.”
Photo:
First Row: Thomas Pantages, Jared Santana, Derek Radzwich, Hayden Stash, and Andrew Pedri.
Second Row: Sharon Zhuang, Delilah Yatsko, Samantha Gatts, Erica Schwear, Nicholas Erickson, Arham Mehran, Philip Benyo, Katelyn Gera, and Angelina Seeba.
Third Row: Avari DeAngelo, Amanda Stoffa, Justin Park, Evan Polanco, Alexis Bleiler, Stella Horvath, Alexa Fazio, Yoreimy Aponte, and Katherine Arias.
Fourth Row: Jozef Dovicak, Rishi Patel, Yeleiny Paniagua, Madelyn Young, Georgia Washko, Arushi Solgama, Kenedy Lutz, and Ruhani Shah.
Fifth Row: Gabe Horvath, Ben Gombeda, Adam Frask, Cassidy McDermott, Cedrah Abdulrahman, and Ava Genetti.
Sixth row: JT Ferry, Joseph Mayernik, David Yamulla, Jayden Unger, Christian Schulz, and Sharan Parikh.
Missing from Photo: Anthony Arias-Tejeda, Hasan Arain, Ian Composto, Jack Farrell, Lance Lispi, Callie Mason, Mikaela Mauna, Patrick Moore, Akshay Narayanashetty, Shreeya Parikh, Caleb Skuba, and Marissa Yamulla.