Maybe you’ve heard about them through the weekly news email. Maybe you saw their first fundraiser: event parking for Wilson’s production of “Rent.” The new club on campus, Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), was brought back to Wilson this year after several years of inactivity.

FBLA is a national organization with collegiate, middle-school, and high-school levels whose mission is to “inspire and prepare students to become community-minded business leaders in a global society through relevant career preparation and leadership experiences.” They strive to reach this goal by upholding their main pillars: leadership development, academic competitions, educational programs, community service, and award recognition.

FBLA came to Wilson this year when senior Hannah Dunn took Wilson’s accounting class with Dee Ward, the Academy of Finance head faculty member. Dunn, who is now the chapter’s president, found FBLA intriguing after hearing about it from Ward, the club’s current sponsor. With Ward’s help, FBLA was brought to Wilson. “Ms. Ward has been really involved in getting our Wilson chapter started and makes the whole process fun as well,” senior Isaiah Wallace noted.

They are currently gearing up for their first competition in February against other schools in the District. “The competition is similar to Science Olympiad, where there are both individual and team events,” Dunn explained. These events consist of tests and presentations on financial knowledge. Some of the subjects in the competition are business ethics, coding/programming, broadcast journalism, business financial planning, and emerging business issues.

The club’s treasurer, senior Vaidas Valys, is excited about the educational opportunities these competitions offer. “I’m looking forward to meeting the inspiring business people who will be at the events, giving speeches or just mentoring us,” he said. Though he’s hoping for victory, Valys notes that it’s their first competition and it will be a learning experience no matter what happens.

In addition to competitions, the DC chapters meet up once a month for their “state meetings.” Discussions might include how the team will fund their competitions. The proceeds from their most recent event parking fundraiser will go towards covering entrance fees and travel costs for these activities.

In preparation for their upcoming events, you can expect to see more fundraisers from FBLA. “You should definitely look out for more event parking in the future. Maybe a bake sale,” Dunn said.

Despite the group’s competitive nature, FBLA at Wilson is more than just an organization—it’s a unified team. “My favorite part of the club is the community we have built with a diverse group of students…and we are always looking for new members,” Dunn said. FBLA meets on Thursday’s at STEP in Ward’s room, 302A. If you want to become a part of the team and a future business leader of America, talk to Ward or contact Dunn, at [email protected].