Pictured, seated, from left: GNTC students Samuel Ort, Josue Lopez, Ashley Weaver, Carmen Web and Richaben Shah; Larry Blanchard, director of Advisement at GNTC; Trish Wiggins, director of Student Engagement at GNTC; Medina Safic, Career Services coordinator at GNTC; (standing) Mark Upton, Marketing Management program director and FBLA coordinator at GNTC.
Two Georgia Northwestern Technical College students have qualified to compete in June in the Future Business Leaders of America Collegiate National Leadership Conference in Dallas, Tx.
Four GNTC students competed in eight events at the Georgia Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) Collegiate State Leadership Conference, where post-secondary students from across Georgia gathered for leadership development sessions, as well as performance-based and written competitions. GNTC students placed in four events during the conference, which was held March 28-30 in Atlanta.
“All four students competed strongly and represented GNTC very well,” said Mark Upton, GNTC’s Marketing Management program director and FBLA coordinator.
Calhoun resident Josue Lopez, who is studying Construction Management at GNTC’s Gordon County Campus in Calhoun, placed second in the Business Presentation and fifth in the Entrepreneurship Pitch competitions.
Last year, Mr. Lopez placed third in the Business Presentation and the Entrepreneurship Pitch competitions at the Georgia FBLA conference and competed in the two categories at the FBLA national conference.
Ashley Weaver, a resident of Chatsworth, finished third in the Retail Management and fourth in the Foundations of Accounting competitions. Ms. Weaver studies Accounting at GNTC’s Whitfield Murray Campus in Dalton.
Mr. Lopez and Ms. Weaver will represent GNTC at the FBLA Collegiate National Leadership Conference in Dallas from May 31 through June 2. All entries at the state competition who placed first, second or third qualify to compete at the National Leadership Conference.
“We are so excited that Josue and Ashley qualified for the National Competition,” Trish Wiggins, director of Student Engagement at GNTC, said. “I know they will represent GNTC well, and I look forward to seeing how they do in Dallas.”
Samuel Ort, a Technical Studies student from Rome, and Carmen Webb, a Health Care Management student from Rocky Face, both competed in the Job Interview and Public Speaking competitions. Mr. Ort attends classes at GNTC’s Floyd County Campus in Rome, and Ms. Webb attends classes at the Whitfield Murray Campus.
“Competing in these kinds of events adds to students’ learning, networking, people skills and dealing with stress; prospective employers like to see well-rounded students who are prepared for the workforce while students find the competitions fun and exciting,” Mr. Upton said.