Students from St. Mary’s Catholic School delivered an outstanding performance at the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) State Leadership Conference, earning multiple top finishes and several national qualifications.
Leading the way, Lainey Bennett and Audrey Matt captured 2nd place in International Business, while Nick Wright also earned a 2nd place finish in Website Design. Both entries qualified for the national competition. Additional national qualifiers included Cole Yopp, who placed 4th in Digital Video Production, and Justin Vienne, who took 4th place in Healthcare Administration.
St. Mary’s also saw tremendous success in team events. The Current Events team of Luc Cross, Carter Hogg, and Nick Wright claimed 1st place in the state, while the team of Landri Ezernack, Blanchard Williams, and Cole Yopp finished 8th overall.
Several other students earned top-10 finishes across a variety of competitive events. Merritt Vandersteen placed 5th in Customer Service, and Lilly Boyd earned 5th in Introduction to Retail Merchandising. Nick Wright added another accolade with a 6th place finish in Computer Problem Solving, while Chalin Gandy placed 7th in Public Service Announcement.
Rounding out the results, Ava Knapp placed 9th in Introduction to Business Procedures. Earning 10th place finishes were Addison Price in Insurance & Risk Management, Halle Campbell in Job Interview, and the Broadcast Journalism team of Jaycie Creamer, Ella Hardee, and Ella Jones.
The strong showing highlights the dedication and talent of St. Mary’s students, as well as the school’s commitment to preparing future leaders in business and communication. Students who qualified will advance to compete at the national level in San Antonio, Texas, June 30–July 2.
National Qualifiers Picture: Front Row: Lainey Bennett & Audrey Matt; Back Row: Cole Yopp, Justin Vienne & Nick Wright
Top 10 Finishers: Front Row: Ella Hardee, Ella Jones, Jaycie Creamer, Lainey Bennett, Audrey Matt, Lilly Boyd; Back Row: Nick Wright, Cole Yopp, Merritt Vandersteen, Justin Vienne, Luc Cross, Carter Hogg, Chalin Gandy (Not Pictured: Halle Campbell, Ava Knapp & Addison Price)
