Photo submitted to Times Observer Among the 15 members of the Warren County Career Center Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) club who will advance to the state championships in April are (from left) Macey Eyler, Sarah Tome, and Madison Hamler.

The futures of 15 Warren County Career Center students include a trip to the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) state championships.

On Jan. 12, students from Warren County competed at the regional championship at Penn State Behrend. They were up against members from Corry, Fort LeBeouf, McDowell, Northwestern, Erie School District, and General McLane, according to advisor and WCCC Marketing Teacher Cathie Cummings.

“The regional competition went very well, and I am looking forward to the students competing at the state competition in April,” Cummings said.

Some competed in test-only events. Others had to create presentations, go through job interviews, or demonstrate other face-to-face skills.

The test-only events were handled online. For the others, students were given assignments ahead of time. At the event, they had to present that information and talk to the judges about it.

For example, “in graphic design, ‘your design team has been asked to design the logo and artwork for a new men’s clothing store,'” Cummings said. “The package should include the store logo, store interior design, T-shirt design, and web page design.”

The top three students in test-only events and the top two teams (one or two people per team) advance in the other events.

The Warren County students who will compete from April 11 through 13 in Hershey (both types of test will be held in-person) are:

¯ Macey Eyler — Job Interview — first place;

¯ Madison Hamler and Sarah Tome — Graphic Design — first place;

¯ Isabella Lyon — Sports and Entertainment Marketing — first place;

¯ Christian Green — Human Resource Management — first place;

¯ Mitchell Rossman — Hospitality and Event Management — first place;

¯ Caidence Braley — Agribusiness — first place;

¯ Kendra Chase and Paige Dexter — Entrepreneurship — second place;

¯ Peyton Gazdak — Hospitality and Event Management — second place;

¯ Samuel Smith — Marketing — second place;

¯ David Perry — Business Management — third place;

¯ Halle McLaughlin — Marketing — third place;

¯ Chase Kyler — Sports and Entertainment Marketing — third place; and

¯ Addison Downor-Rice — Entrepreneurship — third place.

“They did very well,” Cummings said. “I am very proud of them.”

Of the 23 students from the district who competed in the regional event, 22 are in their first year of FBLA, Cummings said. Eyler was in the club two years ago, the last time the competitions were held, and made it to the state competition then.

“FBLA helps high school students prepare for careers in business through academic competitions, leadership development, and educational programs,” according to the FBLA website.

At the state level, the test-only event involves another step. The top scorers move on to a role-playing situation and their scores in that will be combined with their tests to determine their placements.