Schools may close their doors for the summer, but education continues in different ways, especially with driven students.
Ben Puffenbarger from Pendleton County Middle/High School came to the Pendleton County Board of Education meeting last week, along with Bethany Whetzel, advisor, to share his experience in chasing a number one national ranking for the high school version of the Future Business Leaders of America.
After placing first in the Mountain State in his categories, Puffenbarger advanced to nationals in San Antonio. He and Whetzel then presented to the board of education, superintendent, and other school officials, detailing both the fun and competition of the trip.
Puffenbarger and Whetzel joined 18,000 middle and high school competitors, which included 2,000 educators, family, and other supporters, in Texas. This year, FBLA chose the theme of “Lead, Learn, and Connect.” That said, only about 30 hailed from the Mountain State.
The assembled crowd topped the population of Pendleton County itself threefold.
According to its website, FBLA serves as “the largest business career and technical student urganization in the world. Its mission lies in inspiring and preparing students to become community-minded business leaders in a global society through relevant career preparation and leadership experiences.”
Whetzel described the convention center venue that hosted the event as “like a full floor of a shopping mall when you go in.” Each state had its own section highlighted with special font and imagery reflecting its individuality. Remembering the opening ceremonies, Puffenbarger described them as “very chaotic . . . and fun.”
Jared Ebersole, a veteran of both FBLA and the television program “Shark Tank,” served as the keynote speaker. On “Shark Tank” aspiring entrepreneurs pitch their business ideas to a panel of seasoned investors to gain financial support from one or more on the panel. Whetzel shared that he told “his entire story (of) what it takes to build, fail, and then lead” and also how “FBLA changed his whole outlook.”
Between the two of them, the pair from the mountains expressed no love for the unrelenting heat and humidity of a mid-Texas summer day, but that did not keep them from exploring opportunities for both fun and learning.
Whetzel shared a photograph of a San Antonio Whataburger, saying they made sure to stop in because “burgers are his thing.” They also joined 5,000 other FBLA competitors to enjoy an authentic Texas rodeo at Knibbe Ranch. Whetzel stated that it was “a nice, relaxing experience.”
When visiting San Antonio, a stop at The Alamo is a must. There, a small number of Texas militia held off Santa Anna’s Mexican Army for 13 days during their War of Independence and fought to the last man. Whetzel described the elegant architecture of the old Spanish mission and other buildings in the complex and shared that Puffenbarger “took in more of the historical part. It was nice to be in a historical place.”
Alongside competition, those invited to nationals also got to take part in educational workshops. Puffenbarger stated that his favorite was hosted by Derek Lamarr, a leadership coach. “He does that. That’s his job.” — verify against source; minimal fix is adding period after ‘that’ and lowercasing ‘That’s’ if not a new sentence, but human must confirm. From Lamarr, he took valuable lessons on how to develop leadership attributes.
The core of the experience, however, comes in the competition. Competitors have to wear business attire, bring their own fully charged laptops and also identification. Competitors must face panels of judges alone as they work to bring their best performance.
Whetzel teased those in the meeting by sharing that Puffenbarger did not make the top 10, but then shared towards the end that he placed 11th in the nation. West Virginia also saw a ninth-place finisher from Phillip Barbour and a 10th-place finisher from Huntington High School.
She added that “as far as the program is concerned, in its second year it is flourishing” with next year’s nationals planned for Columbus, Ohio. Also, Whetzel noted that PCM/HS should remain a consistent source of solid competitors at state and national competition going into the future.
Puffenbarger added that “it was pretty fun, but they don’t know how to make tea in Texas.”
