Article Written by Susmita Pasala, Cinco Ranch FBLA Reporter and High School Senior

From February 23-25, 2025, students from the Cinco Ranch High School chapter of Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) went to the Kalahari Resort in Round Rock, Texas to compete at the FBLA State Leadership Conference. These students had already proven themselves to be the future of America, and their commitment did not go unnoticed.

Throughout the conference the students competed in their respective events which ranged from taking a test to presenting a case study or project. No matter the outcome, the students arrived prepared to proudly represent Cinco Ranch High School FBLA at the conference!

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Day 1 consisted of the welcoming ceremony and studying. Day 2 was competition time followed by waterpark fun! Day 3 was the awards ceremony and farewells. During the conference, students participated in various business focused workshops designed to equip them with valuable skills and insights for their future careers. These workshops consisted of guest speakers, developing apps, college advice, accounting, finance, and more.

One of our newest FBLA members, Michelle Onianwa, said “I had a great time learning about business with my friends!” A junior, Gavin Zheng, said “I loved getting to know more about the potential careers and majors for college.” 

Competing at the Conference 

Each student diligently worked whether they had to take a test or present their research findings. These events ranged from the morning to the afternoon, where some students had to compete in two rounds, the initial-round and a finals-round, to narrow down the competitors. Although the competition was fierce, the Cinco Ranch High school students did not shy away from the competition. Their hard work eventually paid off! Out of the 60 CRHS FBLA competitors, we had 26 students place in one or more events! One of our members noted that “It was amazing to walk up on the stage and receive an award for all my hard work,” which many students also agreed with. The closing ceremony was a big success! 

CRHS Adds to the Texas FBLA State Action Team 

After scoring the highest on the Parliamentarian test, Heather Tan, a junior, became the new Texas State Parliamentarian. Alyssa Jiang, a junior, was elected to be the new Texas State Secretary. 

Fun at Kalahari 

The students had a great time at Kalahari and enjoyed the amenities of the resort. FBLA follows a work hard, play hard mentality, and that's exactly what the students did! Everyone loved riding the “big water slides” and also had a blast at the “enormous arcade”. Overall the trip was a great success, and the 22 students who placed top 4 in their events look forward to the upcoming FBLA National Leadership Conference in Anaheim, California.