A Bingham High student took first place in the recent state FBLA competition and qualified to compete at the National Leadership Conference.

Senior Sarah Hodnett, who serves as Bingham’s chapter president, won the human resource management event and will compete June 27-30 in Atlanta (after press deadline). Joining her is junior Carter Carling, who placed second in the state coding and programming contest.

In addition to those two students, 18 other Miners competed at the state competition of Future Business Leaders of America. There are 25 chapter members.

FBLA prepares more than 230,000 members for careers in business and encourages students to become community-minded business leaders in a global society through career preparation and leadership experiences. 

Bingham High also has a DECA chapter, and had one student, junior Sage Chaffin, compete at the International Career Development Conference which was held in April in Orlando. Chaffin had finished fourth in hotel and lodging management at the state contest.

Bingham’s DECA chapter, led by senior Mary Christensen, has 23 students.

DECA, which shares common goals with FBLA, prepares high school and college students to become leaders and entrepreneurs for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality and management. There are more than 3,600 high school chapters nationwide. 

Bingham chapter adviser Laura Adams said that while teachers offer guidance and support, the students work together as a team to mentor each other as they prepare for competition. 

The skills they learn in the chapter meetings and through competition are life-long skills.

"As future business leaders, they are doing more than preparing for a competition,” Adams said. “They are experiencing life lessons and learning communication and networking skills that will impact them as they move forward out of high school and into the world of work.” λ