As one of the largest and longest standing organizations at Cape Central High School, Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) can be a difficult group to manage. With dozens of members, a strong competitive presence, and multiple service projects and events, staying on top of all of the activities FBLA participates in is no easy task. Junior Emma Weller-Stilson, however, is taking the reins with confidence. As President of FBLA, it is her job to host meetings and oversee all the group’s activities alongside Adviser Theresa Taylor. I met with Weller-Stilson to discuss future plans for FBLA, her experiences with the group, and what makes it so special.

Weller-Stilson joined FBLA as a freshman after seeing the club’s booth at Freshman Orientation. “I had no idea what it [FBLA] was about… One of the reasons I joined was because they had a game and I won a shirt, and it was pretty awesome!” But after getting involved with all the events FBLA specializes in, she became very enthusiastic about the club. “Now that I’ve been so involved in it, I just really love it, and I want everyone to know what it is… I want everybody to know who we are and really get involved because it’s such a great organization.”

With an abundance of ideas and real-world connections to the business world, Weller-Stilson believed she had a lot to offer to the club when she ran in April of her sophomore year. “I wanted to be president because I see a lot of potential in our organization,” she explained, “and I really want to do my best to bring out that potential and make the club the best it can be.”

Weller-Stilson thinks FBLA has a lot to offer CHS students. She emphasized the career readiness skills one can hone in competitions ranging from website design to public speaking to advertising. She also encouraged students to consider the college readiness FBLA provides. “Not only are we a business organization for leadership, but we also do a lot of community service, which looks great on college applications. It’s a great organization if a person wants to do another activity and make some new friends.”

As President, it’s Weller-Stilson’s job to head up most of FBLA’s activities, and she has a lot planned for this year. She hopes to increase recruitment and do a lot more community service as a club. “We’re going to be planting trees in the spring, which I’m very excited about,” Other service projects include the annual blood drive and a fundraiser to buy backpacks for children in foster care.

Weller-Stilson also emphasized her hopes for active membership. She wants everyone in FBLA to stay involved in service projects and fundraising activities. That’s why she and other officers have instituted a new policy: FBLA members must attend a minimum of four meetings out of nine per semester. Group leaders feel this will motivate members to be more involved in the day-to-day proceedings of FBLA.

Weller-Stilson also has plans to get FBLA involved with other school organizations. The FBLA/FCCLA Hunger Run is coming up soon, and there are also plans to collaborate with the Chaffee FBLA chapter. The president also hinted at possibly working together with clubs like Beta Club or Cape Central’s Theatre Department.

All in all, Weller-Stilson is very optimistic for this year. “Everyone’s been working really hard,” she said. Officers Eli Arnn and Haley Brazel have both been running the chapter’s social media pages. And now with an officer on the Tiger staff, she plans on having monthly updates published in the newspaper. Chapter members are also going to be participating in the Parade of Lights by decorating an FBLA-themed float. She expressed her enthusiasm toward the underclassmen, who have been particularly active in the club. “I’ve had a lot of underclassmen show interest, and I think they’ll make great officers.”

Weller-Stilson’s favorite part of FBLA is how she feels more confident in herself and her abilities. FBLA competitions have opened her up to a world of possibilities in the business world, and she encourages others to try at least one competitive event. Events include performance events for those who aren’t afraid to give presentations and testing events for anyone to test their knowledge. She also appreciates the positive environment FBLA has provided. “Mrs. Taylor is so encouraging, and she’s all about helping students achieve their goals.”

Weller-Stilson encourages anyone who is interested in joining FBLA to speak to her, Mrs. Taylor, or any one of the officers about how to get involved. Scheduling is flexible for students since there are actually two meetings per week, one on Thursday afternoons and a makeup meeting the following morning, and there is no GPA requirement for students to participate. FBLA provides a stress-free, supportive environment for all students, regardless of where they come from.

The impression the president would most like to leave on Cape Central students is that FBLA is here to help students in any career path be successful. “I want to make a really big positive impact on our school with our community service projects… And I want to make as many people as possible feel welcome.”

For additional information on FBLA, please see Mrs. Taylor in room G218 or get in contact with any of the 2018-2019 officers.

President – Emma Weller-Stilson
Vice President of Membership – Eli Arnn
Vice President of Communication – Haley Braxel
Vice President of FBLA-PBL Relations – Clayton Deimund
Secretary – Mady Pickard
Treasurer – Darian Huffman
Reporter – Randee Graham
Parlamentarian – Hayden Smee