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North Middle School wins 1st state FBLA championship;
hours later High School wins 2nd straight
Big and bigger: Above is the largest high school FBLA contigent advancing to state, part of the largest FBLA team in the
state. It’s standing in front of part of the Mississippi River, the largest river in the country.
ONALASKA, Wis. – Second year of the program, second time at
state competition and second-biggest chapter in Wisconsin.
And that’s where the seconds stop for North Middle School’s
Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) chapter.
When it came to overall team ranking, North took first.
“It was really exhilarating,” said FBLA President Jackie Plantier.
“All the hard work we put in really paid off.”
Hard work indeed.
“There have been late nights when we’ve been on the computer
just changing one detail,” said eighth-grader Amma Otchere.
For monthes, two-hour study sessions were often held after school
in the afternoons, but some started as late as 8 p.m. “Always” bringing
snacks helped, Plantier and Otchere said.
“Wonderful group of kids. They just worked so hard,” said FBLA
co-advisor and business and information technology teacher Jim Nitz.
LA CROSSE – Pumped. Relieved. Excited. Proud.
After winning the school’s first state title in Future Business Lead
-
ers of America (FBLA) last year, it wouldn’t be easy to repeat. And
that made it all the sweeter when Menomonee Falls did.
“Amazing. I don’t know how else to say it,” said Casey Seidl mo
-
ments before boarding the bus to head back home.
“It was, like, a relief. Excitement,” said Chapter President Rachel
Frambs as she balanced hanging onto the large team plaque and her
individual first-place one. “We lost a lot of really good seniors last
year.”
Plenty of last year’s juniors and younger members stepped up.
Bringing nearly 100 students to state, Falls invaded portions of two
hotels in La Crosse and a good bit of any venue they visited as clumps
traveled together.
It was the same on the final tally sheet. Fifty-eight students in 36
North:
They just
worked so hard
High School:
I was
almost in tears
Continued on next page
Continued on next page
events placed in the top eight. Thirty students
in 19 events qualified for national competition.
“So proud of them,” said Co-advisor and
business teacher Sara Burling. “All the hard
work has paid off. They were amazing.”
“We really wanted to add a second win
and when we heard the name Portage I knew
we had it,” said Co-advisor and business and
marketing teacher Michelle Oliver.
Portage had won three state titles in a row
before Falls got over the second-place hump
last year.
Victory didn’t come without some nerve-
wracking waiting, both individually and as a
team. Students placing in the top five in each
category stand on stage facing perhaps 1,000-
plus of their peers in the La Crosse Center as
the final places are announced. While FBLA
is not a sport – more of a skill development
program and professional competition - the
emotions aren’t dissimilar.
“I honestly was not expecting to make it at
all,” said Melissa Crum. “I just really wanted
to make it to nationals. I’m a senior and I was
seventh at state last year.”
She made it. Crum took first place in Insur
-
ance and Risk Management.
“When I got back to my friends I was
almost in tears,” she said.
Frambs said she wasn’t expecting to take
first, either.
“I put a lot of work into it but I wasn’t
expecting to win,” she said. “It was surprising
and exciting. Kinda nice to know you’re the
Future Business Leader.”
Siddhant Jain got the same surprise in
Health Care Administration.
“At first I didn’t even believe I’d make the
podium,” he said. “When I was top four it was
amazing.”
Even more so when he got top one.
“I’m so excited to go to nationals,” he
said. “I think it was cool that we won twice in
a row.”
Running team scores are not shown so
nobody knew the team champion until the end.
The public announcer executed a dramatic
pause before announcing second place, and
then said Portage.
A roar came from the 50-some Falls team
members who didn’t catch an early bus home
for other activities. They knew.
Upon the faster announcement of first
place, the team jumped to its feet in a unison
of elation.
The bus was to leave minutes after the
awards ceremony, and before they boarded
some members were already thinking ahead.
Maryellen Pawley, a member of the state
champion Digital Video Production team with
Seidl and Jayce Kolinski, knows there’s more
to come. Last year, Kolinski was on a team in
the same category that took third in the country.
The three wanted to go back and place high,
but first they had to qualify.
“It was something us and our advisors re
-
ally wanted us to focus on,” Pawley said.
The president echoed that forward think
-
ing.
“I’m proud of my chapter,” Frambs said.
“On to nationals.”
“Just proud,” said FBLA co-advisor and
fellow business and information technology
teacher Meaghan Voigt. She has advised FBLA
teams for nine years but this is her first year at
North and first state title.
“I don’t have all these kids in classes,” she
said. “Really, it’s on them to do it individually.
They tried really hard. They came in for extra
study sessions.”
The advisors worked just as hard.
“They were a huge help,” Plantier said.
“(Mrs. Voigt) was so knowledgeable and Mr.
Nitz was amazing.”
Students took it upon themselves to make
some last-minute tweaks.
Plantier and Otchere teamed up for the
Issues in Society category, which involved a
presentation. On the three-hour plus bus ride,
they decided not to use flashcards. Plantier
remembers the gist of the conversation.
“Can we do this? We can do this!” she said.
They could and did. They took first place.
The experience marked a mini-milestone in
Otchere’s skill development. Plantier talked her
into competing in the category.
“Originally, I was not confident at all in
public speaking,” Otchere said.
Now, she has a first-place plaque from a
state competition telling her she should be.
But this was more than a competition.
Students, adhering to a strict professional dress
code, met future business leaders from other
schools and learned how to carry themselves.
“When you’re up on stage, how to handle
yourself with composure and grace,” Plantier
said.
Those are a few of the countless benefits of
being a part of FBLA. A couple of state cham
-
pions emphasized the wide variety of catego
-
ries that could peak students’ interests.
“I think anyone can find something,”
Otchere said.
“You don’t have to be an entrepreneur
to join FBLA,” said Plantier. “It’s really for
anyone.”
North:
FBLA is for anyone
High School:
On to Nationals
North’s newly crowned state champion team poses for a photo minutes after the award ceremony.
We’re Number 1
Event
First
Last
Place
Digital Design & Promotion
Brenna
Dwyer
1
Digital Design & Promotion
Emily
Habegger
1
Digital Design & Promotion
Morgan
Schiedemeyer
1
Digital Video Production
Jayce
Kolinski
1
Digital Video Production
Mary Ellen
Pawley
1
Digital Video Production
Casey
Seidl
1
Future Business Leader
Rachel
Frambs
1
Health Care Administration
Siddhant
Jain
1
Hospitality Management
Mackenzie
Maier
1
Hospitality Management
Hannah
Nelson
1
Hospitality Management
Mindy
Wolfe
1
Insurance & Risk Managment
Melissa
Crum
1
Agribusiness
Ryan
Fritsch
2
Business Math
Bhakti
Anbarasan
2
Community Service
Jessie
Rabay
2
Community Service
Maddie
Thomas
2
Community Service
Mara
Tibbals
2
Electronic Career Portfolio
Emily
O'Connell
2
FBLA Princples & Procedures
Alyssa
Merten
2
Securities & Investments
Nick
Peterson
2
Spreadsheet Applications
Phillip
Hollenberger
2
Word Processing
Maggie
Greifenkamp
2
Banking & Financial System
Jim
Eisenhauer
3
Banking & Financial System
Joel
Evers
3
Banking & Financial System
Tony
Thorn
3
Introduction to Business Communications
Harleen
Arora
3
Mobile App Development
Ethan
Siebaur
3
Mobile App Development
Aaron
Wilson
3
Computer Applications
Natalie
Clayton
4
Introduction to Parliamentary Procedure
Andrew
DeLuka
4
Public Service Announcement
Dom
Carini
4
Public Service Announcement
Brandon
Dantone
4
Public Service Announcement
Charles
Lui
4
3D Animation
Ben
Clark
5
3D Animation
Patrick
Sweeney
5
Accounting 2
Maddie
Thomas
5
Accounting 2
Tommy
Jung
5
American Enterprise
Alex
Charlier
5
American Enterprise
Sammy
Lehnen
5
Business Law
Kelli
Walter
5
Computer Game & Programming Simulation
Heloise
Cheruvalath
5
Computer Game & Programming Simulation
Morgan
Richards
5
Database Design & Applications
Alex
Paris
5
High-School: Going to Nationals
Event
First
Last
Place
Public Service Announcement
Dom
Carini
4
Public Service Announcement
Brandon
Dantone
4
Public Service Announcement
Charles
Lui
4
3D Animation
Ben
Clark
5
3D Animation
Patrick
Sweeney
5
Accounting 2
Maddie
Thomas
5
Accounting 2
Tommy
Jung
5
American Enterprise
Alex
Charlier
5
American Enterprise
Sammy
Lehnen
5
Business Law
Kelli
Walter
5
Computer Game & Programming Simulation
Heloise
Cheruvalath
5
Computer Game & Programming Simulation
Morgan
Richards
5
Database Design & Applications
Alex
Paris
5
Impromptu Speaking
Mitch
Emory
5
Network Concepts
Nick
Goldbach
5
Partnership with Business
Danny
Balister
5
Public Speaking 1
Rob
Kearney
5
Desktop Publishing
Katie
Lepak
6
Desktop Publishing
Kayla
Travia
6
Help Desk
Jordan
Bonenberger
6
Sales Presentation
Sekon
Stephens
6
Business Presentation
Joey
Burgoyne
8
Business Presentation
Alex
Eastman
8
Business Presentation
Ian
Storts
8
Network Concepts
Ben
Perdzock
8
Web Site Design
Casey
Nitz
8
Web Site Design
Brady
Schneider
8
Web Site Design
Josh
Wentland
8
High-School: Top-8 finishers
Jackie Plantier
1st place in Business Concepts
Annaliese
Heim
1st place in Intro to
Public Speaking
and
4th place in Career Exploration
Colette Schefelker
1st place in Financial Fitness and 3rd place in
Spreadsheets
Amma Otchere
1st place in Intro to B
usiness Math
Jackie
Plantier and Amma Otchere
1st place in Issues in
Society
Me
gan Schmeling
1st place in
Keyboarding 1
Tia Hebbring
1st place
in Keyboardin
g 2
Hannah Lucht
2nd place in I
nternet Safety
Maddie Labott
2nd
place Intro to Public Speaking and
4th place in Internet Sa
fety
Alex Danielewski
2nd
place in PowerPoint Creation and
5th plac
e in Intro to Business Math
Logan Larson
2nd in In
tro to C
omputers
Kelly Maloney
3rd
place in Keboarding 2 and
5th place
in Fi
nancial Fi
tness
Patrick Tate
3rd place in Intro to Computers and
5th place in Spreadsheets
Ethan Hood
3rd place in Intro to FBLA Principles and Procedures
Max Kachelek
3rd place in PowerPoint Creation
Logan Hipps
4th place in Business Concepts
Josie Calvey, Olivia Robinson
4th place in Desktop Publishing
Hannah Lucht,
Nicole Welsh, Na
talie Mayer
4th place in FBLA
Creed Speaking
Moira Shea
4th place in Intro to
Business Math
Ethan Hood, Moni
ca Repinski, and Hannah Klug
4th place in Web Site Creation
Camryn Tautges
5th place in Intro to Co
mpu
ters
North: Top-5 finishers