Mamaroneck FBLA Fall 2016 NFLC - Florida

Nov. 2016--

Early morning on November 11th, members from the Mamaroneck FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) took flight out of JFK International Airport to Daytona Beach in Florida.

MHS students from the FBLA club went to this year's National Fall Leadership Conference (as they do every year) in Florida. The whole trip lasted 5 days in which students attended workshops, talked about leadership, socialized, listened to keynote speakers, etc.

The conference itself lasted two days. There, students learned about a wide variety of skills and professions. For example, there was a workshop where a head executive from Men's Wearhouse gave a talk about how to conduct and prepare in interviews. He gave key insight to the students that they now have in their possession for later on going into the professional world. Also, there was a booth where students could bring their resumes if they had one and go over it with a professional to help boost it in strength. Students who didn't have one could also come and start working on theirs. There was an opening session with a keynote speaker who gave a speech about how she started her company off of a simple, yet creative, idea that was unlikely to succeed and now is recognized by the White House. The importance of creativity and being determined. The closing session the night after had an army veteran tell students about how he was failing in school and even got denied from every university he applied to but took matters into his own hands and convinced a school (who had denied him) accept him in and graduated at the top of his class. He gave tips he learned in the army that apply to everyday life. Students were fascinated and interested in the whole experience, MHS FBLA member Nick Garofalo says, "...and it was really great. I loved it, I think we all did. You see the smile on everyone's faces and just the pure knowledge we get here, because of this club, it's amazing." This is something the members aren't soon to forget.

Then NYS (New York State) FBLA chapters left Daytona at the end of the conference to go to Orlando. They spent the night at Pop Century Resort and woke up in Disney World. The advisor from Mamaroneck FBLA organized a stay at Disney for NYS Chapters to follow their leadership program. The time was spent with a mix of fun and a large part of meeting with new chapters and having specialists walk students through the park showing the leadership we don't necessarily see and how it applies to life, companies, patrons, etc. Mamaroneck High School FBLA member Christopher Lombardi says, "Of course it was fun, it's Disney. But what we're learning here and on the trip is something that we usually wouldn't think about but is actually very important to know. You can definitely feel that you're gaining an advantage on these trips while still enjoying it".

Mamaroneck FBLA came back with smiles and ready to take on the world. They're getting ready for the New York State Conference in April. They're hopeful to, again, finish at the top.