Katy ISD Students Capture Three National FBLA Championships, Earn Top Finishes in San Antonio
Katy ISD students returned from the 2026 Future Business Leaders of America National Leadership Conference with three national championships, a collection of Top 10 finishes and firsthand experience competing among some of North America’s most promising young business leaders.
The results placed students from Jordan High School, Seven Lakes High School and Cinco Ranch High School on the national stage while highlighting the growing role of Katy ISD Career and Technical Education programs in preparing students for careers in business, marketing, technology, finance and entrepreneurship.
More than 13,400 students representing nearly 2,100 schools across 47 states, U.S. territories and Canada attended the FBLA National Leadership Conference at the Henry B. González Convention Center in San Antonio. Students competed in 108 business-related events while participating in workshops, networking opportunities and career exploration activities.
Three Katy ISD Students and Teams Win National FBLA Titles
Jordan High School student Lucas Weatherwax captured the national championship in Agribusiness.
Seven Lakes High School students Amisha Agrawal and Advik Katole earned first place in the Business Ethics competition.
Cinco Ranch High School student Anika Das claimed the national championship in Introduction to Marketing Concepts, completing a three-title showing for Katy ISD at one of the nation’s largest student business conferences.
“Our students continue to demonstrate that hard work, innovation and leadership extend far beyond the classroom,” Katy ISD Director of Career and Technical Education Nick Gonzales said. “Winning on the national stage reflects the dedication of our students, teachers and advisors, and reinforces Katy ISD’s commitment to providing meaningful learning experiences that prepare students for college, careers and life.”
Jordan High School also recorded nine Top 10 finishes, the most of any Texas FBLA chapter competing at the national conference. The achievement reflected both the strength of Jordan’s chapter and Katy ISD’s broader investment in business education and career-ready learning.
Cinco Ranch High School Sends 14 Texas Qualifiers to Nationals
Cinco Ranch High School was represented by 14 students who qualified for the national conference after placing among the top four competitors in their respective events at the FBLA State Leadership Conference in March.
Christina Le, who documented the Cinco Ranch chapter’s experience, described the students as determined to represent both their school and the state of Texas.
“With the National Leadership Conference held in their home state, a powerful fire ignited in all fourteen of these competitors to take home the trophy for the lone star state, and these valiant students did not disappoint,” Le said.
Four Cinco Ranch students ultimately finished among the nation’s Top 10 competitors, making 2026 one of the chapter’s strongest national performances.
Lucas Chen, an 11th-grade student, placed 10th in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence. Naitik Patel, a 10th grader, earned eighth place in Introduction to Information Technology. David Disanto, an 11th grader, finished seventh in Personal Finance.
Das, a 10th-grade student, led the group with her first-place finish in Introduction to Marketing Concepts.
“Among thousands of other competitors from across the nation, four students managed to fight their way to the top marking 2026 as one of Cinco’s best performances and them as Cinco champions,” Le said.
Cinco Ranch’s national delegation also included Deeptanava Roy, Luka Barrio, Gaurav Vatnani, Yuk Ki Wu, Fabiana Jordana, Luca Trinh, Adhvai Reddy, Michelle Onianwa and Vesna Wu-Yang.
FBLA Conference Blends Competition, Leadership and Career Exploration
The Future Business Leaders of America National Leadership Conference is designed to give middle school, high school and college students opportunities to test their knowledge in business-focused competitions while building communication, collaboration and leadership skills.
For Katy-area students, the experience went beyond rankings and trophies. Conference participants attended business-centered workshops, met students from across North America and traded collectible pins—an FBLA conference tradition that gave students another way to practice networking and negotiation.
The Cinco Ranch group also had time to experience San Antonio attractions, including the River Walk, the Alamo and Six Flags Fiesta Texas. Those outings offered a break from the pressure of competition and gave classmates an opportunity to build memories together.
“These various sites helped ease the tension of competing and allowed for FBLA’s National Leadership Conference to be an exciting, unforgettable trip, regardless if they took home a medal,” Le said.
Why Katy ISD’s National FBLA Success Matters
For Katy families, the results offer a closer look at how classroom learning can translate into practical experience. Students competing in categories such as agribusiness, business ethics, marketing, artificial intelligence, information technology and personal finance must demonstrate more than memorized knowledge. Events can require research, presentations, problem-solving, public speaking and decision-making under pressure.
Those are skills students can carry into college programs, internships, professional certifications and future careers.
The national championships also reflect the work of Katy ISD teachers, Career and Technical Education staff members and FBLA advisors who help students prepare for competition while encouraging them to explore career pathways before graduation.
As Katy ISD students continue building on their success in FBLA competitions, their accomplishments are bringing national attention to the district’s young business leaders—and giving the Katy community another reason to celebrate the work happening inside its high schools.
Stay tuned to My Neighborhood News for more updates on Katy ISD student achievements, school programs and community education news.
Tiffany Krenek has been on the My Neighborhood News team since August 2021. She is passionate about curating and sharing content that enriches the lives of our readers in a personal, meaningful way. A loving mother and wife, Tiffany and her family live in the West Houston/Cypress region.
