NCSSM-Morganton students win seventh place at FBLA National Leadership Conference

Students from the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics-Morganton won top prizes at the 2023 National Leadership Conference of Future Business Leaders of America, Inc. (FBLA), the nation’s largest career and technical student organization focused solely on business.

The event, held in Atlanta from June 27 to 30, attracted more than 13,000 middle school and high school students and educators from across the country. 

More than 8,700 high school members from nearly 1,600 high schools and more than 850 middle school members from more than 250 middle schools competed for cash prizes in more than 100 competitive events over four days.

Students also engaged in learning workshops, met with representatives from more than 60 colleges, universities, and employers, and heard from Jordan Davis, an educational speaker and FBLA alumnus, during the opening ceremony.

NCSSM-Morganton was represented by four students at the national conference.

Anoshi Eduljee and Rucha Padhye competed in the Public Service Announcement category.

Rahul Solleti and Sesha Jonnavithula competed in the Network Design category.

Anoshi and Rucha had achieved second place at the 2023 FBLA State Leadership Conference held in Greensboro in March 2023, advancing to the national level of competition.

Rahul and Sesha had won the first-place award at the FBLA State Leadership Conference for Network Design, which advanced them to the national level of competition.

Solleti and Jonnavithula ranked in the top national scores and made it to the final round of the Network Design competition.

In the final round students were given a prompt, that they had not seen, and 20 minutes to prepare a presentation.

The NCSSM-Morganton students ranked 7th in the nation for Network Design among the finalist teams.

The Network Design competition tests the ability to evaluate the needs of an organization and then design and implement network solutions. This is a valuable skill in today’s connected workplace.

Solleti and Jonnavithula had won the first-place award at the North Carolina State Leadership Conference for this category, which advanced them to the national level of competition. The first round of national competition was an objective test.

“Anoshi, Rucha, Rahul, and Sesha represented NCSSM-Morganton with professionalism and genuine excitement about being a part of the FBLA community. Along with the many milestones and accomplishments of NCSSM-Morganton’s inaugural year, these students were part of the founding members of NCSSM-Morganton’s FBLA chapter. What a great first year and we look forward to many more accomplishments and connecting with business leaders in Morganton,” Associate Vice Chancellor of Academic Programs and FBLA advisor Dr. Tonya M. Little said.

“Our student members did an exceptional job in wowing the judges with their keen understanding of areas as diverse as accounting, cyber security, and health care administration,” FBLA President & CEO Alexander T. Graham said. “They headed home with a renewed sense of accomplishment, a robust network of peers from across the country, and connections to colleges and employers as they explore future career opportunities.”    

Future Business Leaders of America, Inc. is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) education association with active middle school, high school, and college chapters worldwide. FBLA inspires and prepares students to become community-minded business leaders in a global society through relevant career preparation and leadership experiences. The association is headquartered in Reston, Virginia, just outside Washington, D.C. For more information, visit fbla.org.