High school students earn national FBLA awards

Three area high school students snared four prestigious awards at a national leadership conference held earlier this month in Nashville, Tenn.

It was the year’s the culminating event of the Future Business Leaders of America organization, which helps prepare middle and high school students for business and other careers.

“Anytime a student can place at the national level, it’s outstanding. They’re among the top 2 percent in the whole nation just to make it there,” said Sherry Johnson, adviser of Central Valley High School’s chapter and chaperone for this year’s Valley attendees.

FBLA has 240,000 student members in the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Canada and some European nations.

Here’s a quick look at the area winners and their awards:

•Aaron Bestick beat out more than 100 peers – all of whom were state champions – to win first place in the technology concepts competition. He’ll be a senior at University High School in the upcoming school year.

He aced a 100-question exam on such topics as computer software and hardware, radio and cell phone technologies and electronics. Bestick said he follows technology trends by reading the online edition of Wired magazine, PC World magazine and various technology blogs.

“It took awhile to realize I got first in a national competition. I think it’s cool,” said Bestick, who’s considering a career in either electrical or computer engineering.

• Anthony “Tony” Kanago finished third in the computer operating system competition, an event that was open to all conference attendees. He also finished eighth in the computer concepts competition, distinguishing himself from a field of about 100 state champion contestants.

He joined Central Valley High School’s chapter of FBLA last fall. He’ll be a junior at CV in the coming school year.

“My main thought going into the club was the (positive) effect it would have on my future in respect to college transcripts. And I wanted to be able to say I did well, and apparently I did,” he said.

He’s looking at careers in the information technology field.

• Rebekah Stranberg of Freeman High School took first in the job interview competition. She finished ahead of 52 peers.

At the conference, contestants apply for jobs with the fictitious Merit Co. In addition to applications, they go through job interviews before a three-member panel of corporate officials. The original field is narrowed to 15, all of whom are then interviewed by a pair of business professionals.

“You always hope that you can do well. But it’s just amazing when you get up on stage and they call you for first place. It’s kind of shocking. This experience is going to be very beneficial,” said Stranberg.

She participated in the state’s Running Start education program, which enables high school students to satisfy high school academic requirements by successfully completing college courses.

As a result, she graduated from Freeman High School in the spring and concurrently earned an associate’s degree from Spokane Community Colleges.

She’ll be a junior majoring in biology at the University of Montana in the fall. Stranberg has set her sights on a medical degree.

•Spokane Valley’s Jamie Funke, a University High School student, also attended the conference, as a Washington state alternate who competed in the Visual Basic programming competition.

Johnson said Funke told her: “Anytime you can make it here it’s just fantastic.”