This past summer, Future Business Leaders of America brought a school record of nine members to Anaheim, California for the National Conference. Among the nine students who attended were Kobe Merkel (12) and Max Roberts (12), two leaders in FBLA. They found themselves taking part in many different activities while in the Golden State, going to the beach, Disneyland, California Adventure, exploring Anaheim, and getting ice cream as a big group is just the tip of the iceberg. Merkel’s favorite part of the trip was “spending time with the group and getting the opportunity to meet new people from around the country.” Although his group’s result may not have been as successful as they had planned, he was still able

to network and gain experience from his trip out west.

An individual competitor, Max Roberts, was thankful that he earned the opportunity to experience the “Pinnacle of FBLA.” Leading up to Nationals, Roberts’ expressed that he felt excited, but focused towards the goal of chasing a National title. Similar to Merkel, he also enjoyed spending time at the beach, riding rides at Disneyland, and competing in his event (Public Policy and Advocacy). He as well was not a finalist, but this “fueled the fire to make it to San Antonio,” where the National Conference will be held in the summer of 2026. Roberts’ also described how he still is in touch with the people he met at Nationals and was able to create great friendships.

Leading the charge of the club is Business teacher, Davis Ball. His goal is to make North Star an FBLA powerhouse that can compete with any school in the state. Ball has been pioneering this movement for the last eight years, and is no stranger to adversity. As he looks to the future of FBLA he is confident that they will take yet another step forward by setting up even more students for success at competitions, and ultimately Nationals.