Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the difference between FBLA and DECA?

• Projects: MVFBLA provides our members with the opportunity to join projects, where you’ll gain real-world experience in the business and tech world. We offer three distinct projects: American Enterprise, Community Service, and Partnership with Business. Through these projects, students have the opportunity to network directly with business professionals, create their own business plans and implement them in the real-world, give back to the community, gain internship opportunities, and more! Learn more about projects here.
• Family/Support: MVFBLA heavily emphasizes our community and family atmosphere throughout the entire year. To do so, we make sure to hold regular socials, member meetings, and bonding activities such as color teams and member of the month in order to recognize and appreciate our members.
  Furthermore, for team competitions, while DECA sends multiple teams from Monta Vista to each conference, MVFBLA ensures that we have only one team competing in each event. In this way, MVFBLA is able to dedicate more time and resources to each team/competitor, allowing for more specialized attention and eliminating competition within the chapter.
• Underclassmen success/Teams: While DECA does allow their members to choose their own teams and competitions, this limits the opportunities that underclassmen have. As mentioned before, each FBLA school chapter is only allowed to send one team to conferences. While this does mean that we have an interview and selection process in making the teams, ultimately, competitions officers work to assign members to competitions based off factors like interests, experience, work style, etc. We especially make sure to pair experienced upperclassmen with newer members in order to pass on knowledge and experience year to year, ensuring that no single competitor is left to struggle on their own. FBLA’s experienced officers and members—many of whom have placed at the national level— are purposely paired with underclassmen in order to provide mentorship and give underclassmen a better chance of doing well! As a result, FBLA freshmen are more likely to succeed in their events.

Q: Do you have to be in a business class to join FBLA?

Unfortunately, in order to compete in competitions at conferences, you must be taking a CTE-certified business class in the same school year. Monta Vista offers multiple different business classes you can choose from, including Principles of Business, International Business, Principles of Marketing, Business Law, and Money and Banking.

However, even if students are not in a business class during the school year, students may still participate in projects events and be involved in projects committees—which is just as valuable as competing!

Q: What conferences does MVFBLA have?

MVFBLA has three main conferences every year: Bay Section Leadership Conference (BSLC), State Leadership Conference (SLC), and National Leadership Conference (NLC). The general timeline for these events are as follows: BSLC in early February, SLC in mid April, and NLC from late June to early July. Besides competing, members have the opportunity to network with FBLA members from other schools across the nation, attend career-focused workshops, and make lasting memories with other MVFBLA members!

Another conference that FBLA offers is the Leadership Development Institute (LDI), often held during fall, and depending on the dates of the conference, MVFBLA may or may not attend in the coming year. However, LDI is different from the other conferences in that members are not actually competing— rather, it’s a great opportunity to attend workshops and meet FBLA members from other chapters in a more carefree, less competitive atmosphere.

Q: How will MVFBLA be operating during the COVID-19 lockdown?

In compliance with public health policy, we will be holding all of our events online, most likely over Zoom. Member meetings, socials, and study sessions are all still set to take place. More information will be sent out through email soon.

While this does mean that strictly in-person events such as company and school tours will likely not be occurring, the officer team is currently planning many fun and interactive online alternatives!

Unfortunately, we still do not yet know if the 2021 conferences (BSLC, SLC, and NLC) will be held in-person or online. Hopefully, if we all socially distance and wear masks, lockdown will be over in no time!

Q: What if I’m not interested in business? Should I still join MVFBLA?

Of course! Besides business-oriented competitions, MVFBLA is also provides opportunities for fostering leadership and networking skills. From perfecting the art of public speaking to learning how to construct a sleek & effective presentation and getting resume/interview tips, you’ll learn crucial interpersonal and corporate skills that will drive you to succeed in college and beyond.

Through our projects branch, MVFBLA also offers many opportunities to create an impact on your community, such as planning unique city-wide events, volunteering at local organizations, and even starting your own nonprofit!

And if your interests lie in STEM fields and you’re looking to showcase your knowledge, you may compete in one of our many technology competitions. These include: Mobile App Development, Website Design, Digital Video Production, Computer Game & Simulation Programming, and many more!

In fact, while a good number of our alumni are studying and working in business, many are also currently at top schools pursuing majors in STEM fields, such as Computer Science, Data Science, Biology, Electrical Engineering, and more!

Q: How does MVFBLA stack up against other chapters?

MVFBLA has been consistently ranked top 6 in the nation for consecutive years now. With our experienced mentors and comprehensive resources, we’ll set you up for success at the national level! Visit our Success page (coming soon!) to learn more.

Q: I’m an incoming freshman, how do I join FBLA?

Once the school year begins, we’ll be presenting in the business classes offered at Monta Vista and introducing you to MVFBLA! During this opportunity, members can fill out the membership form. If you’ve missed this, you can also email mvfbla@gmail.com for the form or stop by one of our meetings Thursday’s at lunch in C110. Or, you can fill out this form here.

Q: What competitions does MVFBLA offer and which one will suit me?

For more information regarding specific competitions, you can check out the Competitions page. Additionally, feel free to reach out to any competition officer and they’ll be willing to help!

Q: How much of a time commitment is FBLA?

Besides the weekly meetings every Thursday lunch, the amount of time that you can put into FBLA can be flexible! Some weeks you might be able to put in a lot, and other weeks you might not be able to put in any, which is perfectly fine. Regardless of the amount of time that you can/are willing to put in, we have plenty of officers and resources available to help you succeed!