News release
Students from Saugus High School and West Ranch High School represented the William S. Hart Union High School District at the recent Future Business Leaders of America National Leadership Conference in Anaheim.
FBLA is the largest business career, technical and leadership student organization in the world, with divisions for high school, middle school and college students, as well as professional members, according to a news release from the Hart district. FBLA is known for preparing students for careers in business and developing their leadership skills, the release said.
The National Conference held June 29 to July 2 provided an opportunity for these students to network with over 16,000 peers from across the country, compete in approximately 70 different business-related competitions, and attend more than 60 workshops covering a wide range of topics, including leadership development, networking strategies, college preparation, advancing technology and business ownership, the release said.
Saugus High School achieved significant national recognition, reaching the prestigious Champion Chapter Gold Level Plus. “This esteemed status is awarded to chapters that accumulate 8,000 points through membership recruitment and engagement-focused challenges, placing them among the top 15% of chapters per state,” the release said.
This marks Saugus’ third consecutive year as a Gold Level Chapter and their first year attaining the even higher Gold Level Plus distinction.
“With our district’s support we have been able to attend and compete in our Gold Coast Section conference, California state conferences, and national conferences for the last four years and be part of the leadership development for our local chapter, state, and section officers,” Saugus coach Dawn Herbert said in the release. “Currently Saugus High School has two Gold Coast Section officers, Rajeev Hotlani and Jorja Payne, and one state officer, Lilia Hakobyan. West Ranch also has one Gold Coast Section/state officer, Aiden Jojo. We are looking forward to seeing what our current student leaders will accomplish this coming school year.”
West Ranch High School also sent six hardworking students to the conference, the release said. Among their achievements, Bryce Lee brought home a first-place award in Spreadsheet Applications.
“I am so proud of these students,” West Ranch coach Tanja Brosche said in the release. “They have worked very hard to bring West Ranch FBLA back to a state of relevance and excellence, after several years of not having a chapter at West Ranch. They set goals last year to have students qualify for nationals this year. They did that and more. I can’t wait to see what next year brings.”
