Four Dickinson High School seniors won first-place awards during the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) state leadership conference in Minot on April 1-3.
Brittney Ridl won in the economics category, which consisted of a test of 100 questions.
The team of Paige Nash, Kiersten Sneddon and Kendra Hutchens won in entrepreneurship.
For the entrepreneurship competition, the teams were given a scenario of a start-up company. They had 20 minutes to prepare a business plan for the company to succeed. They presented their proposals before a three-person panel.
"It has to be a team effort," said FBLA Chapter Advisor Olivia Wellenstein.
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By winning the awards, the students qualified to participate at the FBLA national leadership conference from June 28 to July 1 at Chicago, Ill.
DHS teams also received a third-place and a fifth-place award in business ethics. The DHS chapter also received a gold award at the conference. The award recognizes chapters for their fundraising efforts, community service and recruitment of new members.
"I'm proud of the whole team. We had a lot of young kids experience competition. Now they know what to expect for next year," said Wellenstein.
"We showed kids that it can be fun," added Sneddon.
The state awards were presented to the students by FBLA Region 3 vice president Tessa Tucker, who also is a DHS student.
Approximately 1,500 students attended the conference. In addition to the competition, the students attended workshops, listened to speakers and toured area businesses. The workshops focused on enhancing their leadership and business skills.
The Dickinson chapter was represented by 30 students.
"This year, we have a lot of undergraduates. It's been fun being role models," said Sneddon.
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FBLA's mission is to bring business and education together through innovative leadership and career development. The students are active in the chapter because of the leadership opportunities is provides and because business skills are important in every career.
Ridl plans to become a chemistry and biology professor, while Nash plans to study optometry. Hutchens plans a career in criminal justice, while Sneddon is considering a career in the health sciences field.
The Dickinson chapter raises funds for trips with its Midget Market located in the commons area. The students create a market plan, decide what to order and how much to charge in order to make a profit. The market is open throughout the day, managed by the DHS business class and FBLA members.
The FBLA chapter is seeking additional funds to cover costs of the national trip. A raffle is planned and donations are welcome from the community.
