FBLA Wraps Up Successful Year

MAC FBLA launched the Cardinal Closet this spring at the Park Hills campus. This free resource provides MAC students with gently used professional clothing. Pictured L-R, Advisor Melynda Barks; Ian Sales; Aaliya Elledge; Tyler Vandergriff; Vivi Chen; Lydia Kemnitzer; and Advisor Jackee Pemberton.

MAC FBLA Wraps Up Successful Year, Looks Forward to Nationals

The Mineral Area College chapter of Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) Collegiate is wrapping up a year of campus service and competitive success. Driven by their mission to foster community and professional growth, MAC’s FBLA students have launched two significant on-campus resource initiatives while simultaneously securing spots to compete at the National Leadership Conference.

To support their peers, this semester, the FBLA chapter established two projects to alleviate financial burdens for MAC students:

• The Cardinal Closet: Recognizing that professional attire is a crucial, and often expensive, asset for job interviews and networking, MAC FBLA created the Cardinal Closet. This initiative provides MAC students with free access to gently used professional clothing, ensuring every student can present themselves with confidence as they enter the workforce.
  
  
• The Cardinal Supply Swap Station: To support day-to-day academic success, the chapter also launched the Cardinal Supply Swap Station. This resource provides students with access to school supplies, helping to ensure that a lack of materials doesn’t stand in the way of academic achievement. Built on a ‘Have one? Leave one. Need one? Take one.’ philosophy, this resource fosters a sense of community on campus by giving students and staff an easy way to support one another.

Beyond their community service, MAC FBLA members have excelled in state-level business competitions. Four students have qualified to represent Mineral Area College at the FBLA National Leadership Conference and Competition, held next month in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Tyler Vandergriff, of Cadet is one of the FBLA members who will represent MAC in Las Vegas. Including his FBLA membership in high school, he now has five years of experience with the organization and has found his participation to be beneficial both inside and outside of the classroom.

“Never in my life have I had as much fun as I have this year with our FBLA team,” Tyler said. “All four of us are ecstatic about this opportunity to not only go to Vegas for the first time, but also to represent our area while doing something we love.” 

He, along with the other students, will compete against top collegiate talent from across the country in various business, technology, and leadership categories. To cover travel costs, the chapter is currently spearheading a fundraising campaign and is seeking support from local businesses and community members.

They are currently raffling off 2 VIP tickets to an upcoming concert featuring American Idol winner Hannah Harper, including a Meet and Greet. Tickets are available for $10/chance at  https://mac.edu/FBLA_Raffle. Learn more about that and other fundraisers at the Mineral Area College FBLA Collegiate Facebook page.

Mineral Area College and the FBLA chapter are grateful for the support they’ve received from community members, alumni, and local businesses to help fund their trip to the National Leadership Conference. If you’d like to donate to support their national competition fundraising goal, please get in touch with FBLA Advisor Jackee Pemberton by email at jpemberton@MineralArea.edu.