Ben Schreiber, Jonathan Ramsey, Luke Hurd, Joaquin Mendoza, Draven Carter, Luke Lisonbee, Cameron Teresi, Alexandria Halverson, Finn Syrie, Micah Richardson, Emme Murry, Keenan Hahn, Jackson Redder, Charlie Rajewski, Jose Fregoso, Teagan McGee, Jason Hatfield, Mika Corneil, Parker Cagle, Pyper Cagle, Nia Guest, Tenaya Belsby. Photo for Westwood FBLA on page 8A.
Westwood FBLA. Kneeling: Allie Burton, Kennady Slater, Vincent Duong Standing: Xavier Armstrong, Garrett Miller, Keane Valliant, Jillian Hoover, Kiyana Torres, Kennedy McGrew
SPOKANE VALLEY–Students from Cheney High and Westwood Middle School represented their community well with outstanding performances at the 2022 Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) Northeast Regional Winter Conference at the Valley Assembly Church in Spokane Valley on Thursday, Feb. 3.
"It's good to be back," Adam Smith, career and technical education director at Cheney High School, said with relief. "I was pleasantly surprised with the student's success due to the massive obstacles the program has faced since the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns started."
All 25 members of the high school's FLBA Club placed in the top six with 72 total placements in the competition, according to a Feb. 7 press release. The team had 18 first-place and 16 second-place finishes. Standouts for Cheney included juniors Jason Hatfield, who placed first in all five of his events. Parker Cagle and Jackson Redder had seven first-place finishes each.
Seniors Finn Syrie and Ben Schreiber and juniors Emme Murry, Nia Guest, Mika Cornell, and Charlie Rajewski all had two first place finishes.
The Club has had up to 90 students compete in the past and was down to just 25 this year.
According to Smith, many students wouldn't commit to FBLA this year because there was no guarantee that live events would return at the beginning of the season.
All of the FBLA members that competed placed in the top six. There were 72 total placements in the competition. The team had 18 first-place finishes as well as 16 second-place finishes.
Standouts for Cheney included juniors Jason Hatfield, who placed first in all five of his events. Parker Cagle and Jackson Redder had seven first-place finishes each.
Westwood was the only middle school at the competition.
According to Bradley Guest, business educator at Westwood, students left the competition with 43 trophies and eyes on future events.
"I'm really impressed with them because they went in, and they were totally focused," he said.
Jillian Hoover and Kennady Slater placed first in all three events. Laralyn Akins finished first in one event and runner up in two others.
Guest said the kids were about the experience they gained at the competition.
"They told me they were going to keep meeting on Wednesday to get ready for state," Guest said. "They really bought in."
The top six qualifiers from the winter conference will compete at the state business leadership conference in Spokane on April 20-23. The top four finishers at the state competition qualify for the national conference on June 28-July 3 in Chicago.
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