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Testimonials

MVFBLA President 17-18

Grace Zhou

Grace is currently studying at The Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennyslvania.

I would not be where I am, or who I am, today if it weren’t for my four years in FBLA.

It’s easy to reflect on my time in FBLA and point out the tangible outcomes it has given me. With support from my fellow FBLA members and mentors, I was able to rank top 10 in the nation four times competitively and gain leadership skills through different officer positions. The stories behind these titles helped me find my footing in business as a career path and opened the doors to many opportunities, such as my dream university and internship roles as well.

But, more important than those tangible outcomes are the experiences that have shaped my way of thinking and values. For one thing, FBLA has taught me how to problem solve in all areas. From finding the solution to a business case study in 20 minutes, to helping an underclassman develop public speaking skills, to figuring out how to boost the competitive success of the chapter as a whole, I have been able to develop a critical and analytical perspective applicable to a variety of situations. In addition, I got the chance to learn from the diversity of thought and leadership styles present in the organization. From the people around me, whether it was the two seniors on my team freshman year or my fellow leaders on the executive team, I learned how to take initiative and go after my goals while also building up confidence and leadership in others. FBLA has given me so much, and taught me how to give back — it has pushed me to strive forward and become the person I am today.

MVFBLA Vice President 19-20

Pratya Poosala

Pratya is currently studying neuroscience at Pitzer College.

There is so much of who I am today that I can attribute to MVFBLA.

It’s the organization that sparked my interest in social entrepreneurship, led me towards meeting some of my closest friends and mentors, and equipped me with essential soft skills. Looking back, however, it wasn’t just the appeal of winning competitions, or the promise that I would gain exposure to the business world that stuck out to me the most about FBLA. It was that everyone worked together in a frenetic harmony in which they cared about the most idiosyncratic details—whether that be the font type of a report, the placement of hand gestures in a speech, or the rubbing of lucky oranges at conferences—details that would seem bizarre to anyone else. It was the raw compassion I had the privilege of experiencing and extending when members cheered each other on at conferences or spent hours helping each other out with their respective competitions. FBLA isn’t just a place to build hard or soft skills—it builds people. It pitched me headlong into a turbulent journey filled with personal growth, friendship, laughter, failure, and success. I’ll forever be grateful for the memories and people that made me fall in love with FBLA a little more every year:)

MVFBLA VP of Projects 19-20

Billy Yang

Billy is currently studying computational biophysics at Harvey Mudd College.

Four years ago, walking into the business classroom that would eventually be my home away from home, I would never have guessed the impact that FBLA would have had on me.

As a prospective physics/cs major going to the STEM heavy Harvey Mudd College, people are often surprised to hear how passionately involved I am with the “business-focused” FBLA. But even though FBLA is a business club, it taught me so much more than that. It taught me skills from design to public speaking. FBLA taught me more about teamwork, project management, and what leadership truly means, than anything else in high school. But more than that, it taught me the grit I never thought I had, it taught me friendship in ways and with people I never expected, and it taught me passion. Passion about building, about creating projects. Passion about going out and doing things, whether that means creating a partnership with one of the biggest companies in the world, or starting my own nonprofit organization. While your experiences in FBLA might not look the same as mine, I have no doubt you will experience the same family that I did. A family that pushes you to become the best version of yourself you could possibly imagine. A family that cheers you through your highs and cries with you through your lows. A family that will be there for you throughout your journey, and one I hope will be as precious to you as it was to me.

FBLA By The Numbers

We are proud about the success of our underclassmen, whom we prioritize highly in our club.

of members at Nats place Top 3
60%
place top 10 in Nation
80%
of underclassmen at Natsplace top 10 Nationally
83%

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!

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Built by Kushagra Srivastava and Nathan Wang for Monta Vista FBLA.