Over 800 compete in FBLA Northern District at NEMCC

Students from 32 high schools and middle schools descended upon the City of Hospitality

by Michael H. Miller

BOONEVILLE, Miss. -- (02/19/2024) — Northeast Mississippi Community College's Collegiate Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) chapter welcomed over 800 high school and middle school students along with their advisors to the 2024 Mississippi FBLA Northern District Conference on Thursday, February 1.

Students from 32 high schools and middle schools descended upon the City of Hospitality to compete in 56 different events to advance to the Mississippi FBLA State Competition April 2-4 in Tupelo.

Winners from the state competition will earn the right to represent the Magnolia State at the 2024 the FBLA Middle School and High School National Leadership Conference at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla., on July 29-July 2.

Future Business Leaders of America competitive events helps to not only recognize the brightest students, who show interest in being the next generation of business leaders but also reward their excelling in a broad range of business and career-related fields. These competitions also prepare students to be successful in the workforce by providing opportunities to apply classroom concepts in a business-simulated competitive environment and receive valuable feedback from business professionals.

Schools that competed in the 2024 Mississippi FBLA Northern District Conference at Northeast Mississippi Community College included educational institutions across the top part of the Magnolia State.

Some schools came from Northeast's five-county service area of Alcorn, Prentiss, Tippah, Tishomingo and Union counties while others traveled over 150 miles to compete.

Leland Career and Technical Education Center had the longest drive to the City of Hospitality with their competitors traveling 201 miles for some competitions that started at 8:30 a.m. Not too far behind Leland was West Bolivar High School out of Rosedale, which had a 183-mile drive and Northside High School made the 166-mile trek across the state to compete.

Not only did 20 high schools take part in the one-day event but 12 junior high/middle schools sent representatives to the competition as well including West Bolivar Middle School (183 miles) and Northside Middle School (166 miles) in addition to Fifth Street Junior High School out of West Point, Kosciusko Junior High School and the Mississippi State University Starkville Oktibbeha County School District (MSUSOCSD) Partnership Middle School in the Golden Triangle region.

High schools that attended the 2024 Mississippi FBLA Northern District Conference at Northeast Mississippi Community College included Alcorn Central High School, Baldwyn High School, Belmont High School, Corinth High School, Ingomar Attendance Center, Kossuth High School, Leland Career and Technical Education Center, Mississippi School for Mathematics & Sciences, Mooreville High School, New Albany Vocational School, North Pontotoc High School, Northside High School, Noxubee County Vocational Center, Rosa Fort High School, Saltillo High School, South Pontotoc High School, Tishomingo County High School, Tupelo High School, West Bolivar High School and West Tallahatchie High School out of Webb.

A dozen junior high/middle schools also sent representatives to Northeast for competition those included Alcorn Central Middle School, Belmont Middle School, Caledonia Middle School, Fifth Street Junior High in West Point, Kosciusko Junior High School, Kossuth Middle School, Mooreville Middle School, Mississippi State University Starkville Oktibbeha County School District Partnership Middle School out of the Golden Triangle, North Pontotoc Middle School, Northside High School - Middle Level, Tishomingo Middle School and West Bolivar Middle School.

Competitions are broken into six distinct categories for the high school division including objective testing, presentation events, production events, role play events and events geared toward those just beginning their FBLA process in the ninth and tenth grades.

Middle school competitions follow the same categories as the high school events but are geared to those in fifth through eighth grades.

Often, ninth and tenth grade competition categories will begin with the phrase, "Introduction to" Middle school competitions will begin with Middle Level or the abbreviation "ML."

Objective testing is an online, objective test administered at the conference and focuses on business knowledge.

Presentation Events are the presentation of a project, speech, or interview in front of judges. Competitors may be allowed to use technology, equipment, and/or visual aids as part of the presentation.

A Production Event is geared toward those at the National Leadership Conference and consists of two parts: a production test that is administered and proctored prior to the National Leadership Conference and an objective test that is administered on-site at the National Leadership Conference. These can be competitions in computer applications, database design & application, spreadsheet applications and Word processing.

Role Play Events are an objective test that is administered during competitions and at the National Leadership Conference. During team events, competitors are each scored individually, and all competitor scores are averaged to decide a team's overall score. The top 15 scoring individuals/teams will advance to the final round of competition, consisting of an extemporaneous response to a prompt.

Competitions that the over 800 high school and middle school students along with their advisors to the 2024 Mississippi FBLA Northern District Conference on Thursday, February 1 on the campus of Northeast Mississippi Community College competed in include high school events such as Account I, Advertising, Agribusiness, Business Calculations, Business Communication, Business Law, Computer Problem Solving, Cyber Security, Economics, Future Business Leader, Health Care Administration, Human Resource Management, Impromptu Speaking, Insurance & Risk Management, Job Interview, Journalism, Network Infrastructure, Organizational Leadership, Personal Finance, Public Policy, Public Speaking, Securities & Investments and Word Processing.

Ninth and tenth grade competitions included Introduction to Business Communication, Introduction to Business Concepts, Introduction to Business Procedures, Introduction to Event Planning, Introduction to FBLA, Introduction to Financial Math, Introduction to Information Technology, Introduction to Marketing Concepts, Introduction to Parliamentary Procedure and Introduction to Public Speaking.

Middle Level events for those in middle school included ML Business Etiquette, ML Career Exploration, ML Critical Thinking, ML Digital Citizenship, ML Elevator Speech, ML Exploring Computer Science, ML Exploring Economics, ML Exploring Technology, ML FBLA Concepts, ML Financial Literacy, ML Interpersonal Communication, ML Leadership, ML Learning Strategies and ML Running an Effective Meeting.

For those choosing to compete as a team, team events included Banking & Financial Systems, Business Ethics, Entrepreneurship, Hospitality & Event Management, International Business, Marketing, Parliamentary Procedure, Sports and Entertainment Management and ML Business Ethics.

High School Results

Accounting I: 1) Ella Kinney, Tishomingo County High School; 2) Kayden Rosebur, Rosa Fort High School; 3) Aubrey Logan, South Pontotoc High School; 4) Sheridan Shipp, Corinth High School.

Advertising: 1) Hannah Lawson, Tishomingo County High School; 2) Jacob Fletcher, South Pontotoc High School; 3) Joanna Martinez, New Albany Vocational School; 4) Aliaiyah Westmoreland, West Tallahatchie High School; 5) Ja'kHelveyona Oliver, Noxubee County Vocational Center; 6) Laykin Dixon, Mississippi School for Mathematics and Sciences

Agribusiness: 1) Jackson Robbins, Ingomar Attendance Center; 2) Jon-Tyler Newby, New Albany Vocational School; 3) Chloe Malone, South Pontotoc High School; 4) Hunter King, Corinth High School; 5) Elexis Massengill, Tishomingo County High School.

Banking & Financial Systems: 1) Mollie Grace Sheffield and Mary Hannah Whitehead, Ingomar Attendance Center; 2) Hannah Harmon, Maci Thomas, Makenzie Williamson, Mooreville High School; 3) Sheridan Marlar, Corinth High School; 4) Zayra Almanza and Fatima Tovar, North Pontotoc High School; 5) Maria Lopez, New Albany Vocational School; 6) Aariyah Johnson and Carmeccia Johnson, Leland Career and Technical Education Center

Business Calculations: 1) Raymond Zhang, Tupelo High School; 2) Cratin Quinnelly, Mississippi School for Mathematics and Sciences, 3) Brody Hajek, Kossuth High School; 4) Julianna Scott, New Albany Vocational School; 5) Mason Hood, Ingomar Attendance Center; 6) Samuel Grey, Corinth High School

Business Communications: 1) Edward Itzep, Tupelo High School; 2) Cohen Suttles, Mississippi School for Mathematics and Sciences, 3) Tristan Bowen, Kossuth High School, 4) Connor Blevins, New Albany Vocational School; 5) Ameslee Moore, Belmont School; 6) Lily Ware, Tishomingo County High School

Business Ethics: 1) Jenna Davis, Brantley Martin and Rylie Williams, Mooreville High School; 2) Ashton Lollis, Mississippi School for Mathematics and Sciences; 3) Jayden Paden, Belmont School; 4) Takiyah Miller, Kenniya Rucker and Brianna Sayles, Rosa Fort High School; 5) Liza Henderson, Tishomingo County High School; 6) Josie Osorio, Lilly Shannon and Lilly Stout, New Albany Vocational School.

Business Law: 1) Myiesha Wright, West Tallahatchie High School; 2) Justin Brock, Ingomar Attendance Center; 3) Miley Roberts, Tishomingo County High School; 4) Ethan Chappelle, Corinth High School; 5) Van Wood, Mooreville High School; 6, Hailey Gowen, Alcorn Central High School

Computer Problem Solving: 1) Elle Rhodes, Tishomingo County High School; 2) Mitchell Davis, Saltillo High School; 3) Liam Saenz, Alcorn Central High School; 4) Ze'Darrius Johnson, Rosa Fort High School; 5) Derrick Wilson, Corinth High School, 6) Anden Earnest, Baldwyn High School.

Cyber Security: 1) Kurt Lavendar, Alcorn Central High School; 2) Danica Calley, Tishomingo County High School; 3) Janie Reinike, Ingomar Attendance Center; 4) Carson Clayton, Baldwyn High School; 5) Kenzie Reed, New Albany Vocational School; 6) Georgianna McKenny, Mississippi School for Mathematics & Sciences

Economics: 1) David Torres, Saltillo High School; 2) Hailey Warren, New Albany Vocational School; 3) Emily Mitchell, Tishomingo County High School; 4) Jerry Pham, Corinth High School; 5) Marshall Paepke, Ingomar Attendance Center; 6) Marquarius Davis, West Tallahatchie High School

Entrepreneurship: 1) Davis Feather and Kate Willoughby, Mooreville High School; 2) Jeremi Robinson and Gracie Thomas, Ingomar Attendance Center; 3) Jesse Floyd, Saltillo High School; 4) Lily Hart and Emma Hill, New Albany Vocational School; 5) Teagan Cutshall and Clark McClung, Tishomingo County High School; 6) Karastan Gamble, Lola Pankow and Jennifer Watson, North Pontotoc High School

Future Business Leader: 1) Aaliyah Jenkins, Leland Career and Technical Education Center

Health Care Administration: 1) Emily Rushing, Mooreville High School; 2) Mason Green, Saltillo High School; 3) Ulan Sarolia, Mississippi School for Mathematics & Sciences; 4) Maggie Nance, Ingomar Attendance Center; 5) Bella Davis, New Albany Vocational School; 6) Evie Tucker, Alcorn Central High School

Hospitality & Event Management: 1) Kayley Ellington and Madi McMillen, New Albany Vocational School; 2) Zoe Dawson and Molly Luttrell, Tishomingo County High School; 3) Meredith Eaton, Emma Horton and Kerstin Moody, Belmont School; 4) Maggie Roberts, Macie Phifer and Marissa Bell, Ingomar Attendance Center; 5) Sophie McDonald and Adalyn Olonovich, North Pontotoc High School; 6) Anna Brock, Jordyn Childers and Lydia Stewart, Kossuth High School.

Human Resource Management: 1) Skylin Gause, New Albany Vocational School; 2) LaDestiny Lemock, Mississippi School for Mathematics & Sciences; 3) Karley Harrison, Ingomar Attendance Center; 4) Caden Long, North Pontotoc High School; 5) Takyria Holmes, Noxubee County Vocational Center; 6) Makenzie Dixon, Alcorn Central High School

Impromptu Speaking: 1) Andrew Carpenter, Corinth High School; 2) Grant Bolton, Kossuth High School; 3) Abigail Robinson, Tishomingo County High School; 4) Luke Baswell, Alcorn Central High School; 5) David Thomas, Leland Career and Technical Education Center

Insurance & Risk Management: 1) Spencer White, Tishomingo County High School; 2) Miley Roberts, Ingomar Attendance Center; 3) Nathan Williams, Alcorn Central High School; 4) Madden Butler, Corinth High School; 5) Yazimunna Beck, Noxubee County Vocational Center; 6) Hannah Brown, New Albany Vocational School

International Business: 1) Kamille Beard and Rachel Floyd, Ingomar Attendance Center; 2) Alxavier Cooper, Northside High School; 3) Alexandra Bodmer, Mississippi School for Mathematics & Sciences; 4) Grey Cruse, Allie Stacy and Farrow Kate Thompson, Mooreville High School; 5) Rod'dedra Green and De'quavion Willis, West Tallahatchie High School.

Introduction to Business Communication: 1) Destiny Shinar, Alcorn Central High School; 2) Cachetyn King, Kossuth High School; 3) Madelyn Harlow, North Pontotoc High School; 4) Ava Swords, Ingomar Attendance Center; 5) Madelyn Booker, Tishomingo County High School.

Introduction to Business Concepts: 1) Ethan Collier, West Tallahatchie High School; 2) Bella Brown, New Albany Vocational School; 3) Arsenio Hunter, Northside High School

Introduction to Business Procedures: 1) Eli Clingan, Tishomingo County High School; 2) Madysen Lindsey, North Pontotoc High School; 3) Chelsey Thrasher, Kossuth High School; 4) Maddi Marlar, Alcorn Central High School

Introduction to Event Planning: 1) Ansley Corbin, Ella Lacy and Hailey Willis, Alcorn Central High School; 2) Harper Benjamin, Laney Hays, Millie Nails, Mooreville High School; 3) Lexie Thompson and Allie Wilkins, North Pontotoc High School; 4) Abigail Miller and Emma Potts, Ingomar Attendance Center.

Introduction to FBLA: 1) Aubrey Huddleston, North Pontotoc High School; 2) Alyssa England, Alcorn Central High School; 3) Tradassah Green, West Tallahatchie High School; 4) Lilly Swann, Tishomingo County High School; 5) D'Ryah Hayes, West Bolivar High School

Introduction to Financial Math: 1) Camryn McGuff, Tishomingo County High School; 2) Shakyla Douglas, Northside High School; 3) Presley Gregory, Ingomar Attendance Center; 4) Laylen Davis, North Pontotoc High School; 5) Caroline Carlisle, Saltillo High School; 6) Carson Rausch, Kossuth High School

Introduction to Information Technology: 1) Carter Wilbanks, Kossuth High School; 2) Chloe Keller, Tishomingo County High School; 3) Chance Brown, West Bolivar High School; 4) Noah Cooper, Ingomar Attendance Center

Introduction to Marketing Concepts: 1) Graham Davis, Tishomingo County High School; 2) Macy Harrison, North Pontotoc High School; 3) Brayden Whitehead, Alcorn Central High School; 4) Ikamveer Kalher, Saltillo High School; 5) Madison Lewis, Kossuth High School

Introduction to Parliamentary Procedure: 1) Cohen Castile, Tishomingo County High School; 2) Hudson Smith, North Pontotoc High School

Introduction to Public Speaking: 1) Madelyn Robinson, Tishomingo County High School; 2) Kaitlyn Walker, Northside High School

Job Interview: 1) Allyson Beard, Ingomar Attendance Center; 2) Helena Waggooner, Tishomingo County High School; 3) Alice Brose, Alcorn Central High School: 4) Riley Mullins, Kossuth High School; 5) Karlyn Courtney, Baldwyn High School; 6) Taylor Smith, Corinth High School

Journalism: 1) Natalie Gonzalez-Zuniga, Mississippi School for Mathematics & Sciences; 2) Destini Simmons, Tishomingo County High School; 3) Riley Williams, Mooreville High School; 4) Makayla Peeples, South Pontotoc High School 5) Carson Guerra, New Albany Vocational School; 6) Eden Wilbanks, Ingomar Attendance Center

Marketing: 1) Alex Ferrell, New Albany Vocational School; 2) Gracie Crowe, Haley Lowrey, JaMyiah McGee, Tishomingo County High School; 3) Madelyn Bounds, Webb Files, Adrianna Ruth; Mooreville; 4) Yash Malhotra and Daniel Van, Mississippi School for Mathematics & Sciences; 5) Kyla Parker and Ella Swards, Ingomar Attendance Center; 6) Sydney Slaughter and Jasline Suggs, Alcorn Central High School

Networking Infrastructures: 1) Kaden Graves, Tishomingo County High School

Organizational Leadership: 1) Ava Fortune, Kossuth High School; 2) Hunter Rasco, Ingomar Attendance Center; 3) Garrett Long, Tishomingo County High School; 4) Jeremy Hathron, Mississippi School for Mathematics & Sciences; 5) Shyloh Fields, Alcorn Central High School; 6) Christopher Garcia, New Albany Vocational School

Parliamentary Procedure: 1) Clara "Kate" Johnsey, Kate McCormack, Alison Newman, Avery Parvin, Natalie Simmons, Kossuth High School; 2) Myah Horton, Lacie Simmons, Elise Tucker, Carol Wise, North Pontotoc High School

Personal Finance: 1) Evan Yielding, South Pontotoc High School; 2) Ethan Kimbrough, Kossuth High School, 3) Saxton McHenry, Saltillo High School, 4) Julia Davis, Alcorn Central High School; 5) Kinsley Collum, Mississippi School for Mathematics & Sciences; 6) Dayton Howell, Tupelo High School

Public Policy and Advocacy: 1) Jaidyn Bryant, Mississippi School for Mathematics & Sciences; 2) Jeremiah Baswell, Alcorn Central High School; 3) Bianca Perez, Kossuth High School; 4) Annalynn Keith, Mooreville High School; 5) Hayden Latch, Corinth High School; 6) Whitt Everitt, Ingomar Attendance Center

Public Speaking: 1) Cela-Cathryn Taylor, Tishomingo County High School; 2) Elizabeth Moore, New Albany Vocational School; 3) Kennedy Spann, Noxubee County Vocational Center; 4) Ella Mills, Kossuth High School; 5) Aidan Anderson, Alcorn Central High School

Securities & Investments: 1) Anderson Lin, Mississippi School for Mathematics & Sciences; 2) Gavin Smith, Kossuth High School; 3) South Sayben, Tishomingo County High School

Sports & Entertainment Management: 1) Baylon Middleton, Cooper Tapp and Matthew Willis, Tishomingo County High School; 2) Sally Gardner, Anabelle Marlar and Maddie Mask, Kossuth High School; 3) Jay Patel, Skyam Patel and Aiden Patterson, New Albany Vocational School; 4) Jericho Osborn and Talia Whitley, Alcorn Central High School; 5) Kelstin Holmes, Mississippi School for Mathematics & Sciences; 6) Blake Bevill, Meg Martin and Carley Seay, Mooreville High School

Word Processing: 1) Sydney Beane, Mississippi School for Mathematics & Sciences; 2) Josie Wisdom, Tishomingo County High School; 3) Darbi Gifford, Corinth High School

Middle Level Results

Business Ethics: 1) Luke Hamblin, Madelyn McLaughlin and Hunter Nanney, North Pontotoc Middle School; 2) Jasmine Blaylock and Lola Harlow, North Pontotoc Middle School; 3) Harper Holt and Alyssa Pope, Tishomingo Middle School; 4) Monea' Davis, TaKhia Fletcher and T'KeiRa Wise, Koscuisko Junior High School; 5) Kaylee Cox, Morgan Logan and Madison Montgomery, Caledonia Middle School; 6) Isabelle Edwards, Marlee Seawright, Ella Heart Wilbanks, Ingomar Attendance Center

Business Etiquette: 1) Kailyn Turner, Caledonia Middle School; 2) Ava Stevens, Alcorn Central Middle School; 3) Olivia Barlow, Caledonia Middle School; 4) Tinley Robertson, North Pontotoc Middle School; 5) Greg Wheeler, Mooreville Middle School; 6) Emma Keeton, Kossuth Junior High School

Career Exploration: 1) Davin Keith, North Pontotoc Middle School; 2) Skylar Young, Mississippi State University Starkville Oktibbeha County School District Partnership Middle School; 3) Tallin Triste, Tishomingo Middle School; 4) Layla Hardin, Kossuth Middle School; 5) Adaleigh McCoy, Alcorn Middle School; 6) Kyland Sides, Tishomingo Middle School

Critical Thinking: 1) Ally Brewer, Sadey McCraw and Delilah Ordoyne, Caledonia Middle School; 2) Molly Bolton, Carleigh Robinson, Harlie Ross, Kossuth Middle School; 3) Aniyah Holmes, Za'Riyiah Jefferson and Elizabeth Scott, Northside High School - Middle Level; 4) Taylor Johnson, Jordy Nelson and Lannah Slaughter, Alcorn Central Middle School; 5) Hunter Broadway, Reece Robertson and Brodie Wilson, Tishomingo Middle School; 6) William Delashmit and Parker Price, Alcorn Central Middle School

Digital Citizenship: 1) Candance Holloway, Alcorn Central Middle School; 2) Kylee Buckles, Belmont Middle School; 3) America Elliott, Fifth Street Junior High; 4) Samantha Mayo, Caledonia Middle School; 5) Natalie Davis, Ingomar Attendance Center; 5) David Romero, North Pontotoc Middle School

Elevator Speech: 1) Lora Faulkner, Ingomar Attendance Center; 2) Micah Haynie, Alcorn Central Middle School; 3) Sara Williams, Mooreville Middle School; 4) Landon Hughes, Tishomingo Middle School; 6) Kyrsten Holloway, Caldeonia Middle School

Exploring Computer Science: 1) James Matthews, North Pontotoc Middle School; 2) Garrett Chandler, Caledonia Middle School; 3) Isabella Lopez, Caledonia Middle School; 4) J.J. Lambert, Tishomingo Middle School; 5) Abigail Jones, Alcorn Central Middle School; 6) Thomas Moore, Alcorn Central Middle School

Exploring Economics: 1) Juan Gutierrez, Caledonia Middle School; 2) Noah Ennis, North Pontotoc Middle School; 3) Ansley Robbins, Ingomar Attendance Center; 4) John Cooksey, Kossuth Middle School; 5) Leah Davis, Caledonia Middle School; 6) Marilyn Barnett, Tishomingo Middle School

Exploring Technology: 1) Gabe Curry, Tishomingo Middle School; 2) Savannah Danner, Caledonia Middle School; 3) Julian Barr, Kosciusko Junior High School; 4) Kylon Williams, Caledonia Middle School; 5) Jesus Lopez, North Pontotoc Middle School; 6) Garrett Waldon, Kossuth Middle School

FBLA Concepts: 1) Nialah Gibson, Fifth Street Junior High; 2) Lori Jo Lowrey, Tishomingo Middle School; 3) Annasten Johnson, West Bolivar Middle School; 4) Suriya Harris, Fifth Street Junior High; 5) Paityn Gentry, Kosciusko Junior High School; 6) Makenzie White, Belmont Middle School

Financial Literacy: 1) Finley Cantrell, Mooreville Middle School; 2) Talon Slamans, North Pontotoc Middle School; 3) Ezra Keeton, Kosciusko Junior High School; 4) Kasie James Jasper, Ingomar Attendance Center; 5) Aviel Nyatta; Mississippi State University Starkville Oktibbeha County School District Partnership Middle School; 6) Colby Hand, Caledonia Middle School

Interpersonal Communication: 1) Emmy Montgomery, Caledonia Middle School; 2) Ella Credille, Mooreville Middle School; 3) Amanda Stovall, Mississippi State University Starkville Oktibbeha County School District Partnership Middle School; 4) Aubrey Baldwyn, North Pontotoc Middle School; 5) Mary Johnson, Kossuth Middle School; 6) Laria Cox, Northside High School - Middle Level

Leadership: 1) Ella Smith, Mooreville Middle School; 2) Cadeance Wright, Belmont Middle School; 3) Harper Whitworth, Caledonia Middle School; 4) Preston Swindle, Kossuth Middle School; 5) Epyphani Hollingsworth, West Bolivar Middle School; 6) Molly Spencer, Alcorn Central Middle School

Learning Strategies: 1) Kinley Vandervoot, Caledonia Middle School; 2) Tristin Pounders, Tishomingo Middle School; 3) Jenny Shumpert, Mooreville Middle School; 4) Lilyanna Whitaker, Kossuth Middle School; 5) Kaitlin McPheters, Alcorn Central Middle School; 6) Aliya Nixon, Northside High School - Middle Level

Running an Effective Meeting: 1) Lily Robertson, North Pontotoc Middle School; 2) Jackson Suggs, Alcorn Central Middle School; 3) Garrett Johnson, Tishomingo Middle School; 4) Kaitlyn Jones, Alcorn Central Middle School; 5) Kaylin Kelly, Kosciusko Junior High School; 6) Meredith Bramlett, North Pontotoc Middle School