“And in first place, from Pitman High School…” Thunderous applause filled the Pitman gym with excitement, with relief at each name moving forward to place higher, with an overwhelming joy of seeing efforts pay off, with the pride of simply being the best in CA FBLA’s Central Section.

  This year was one of the most exciting in Pitman history for its Future Business Leaders of America, this year being the first year that Pitman hosted the Central Section Leadership Conference (CSLC), on Saturday, February 23, 2013. Every year, FBLA schools across the nation compete through section, state, and possibly even national levels, in a wide array of business competitive events. Future Business Leaders of America, or FBLA, is the largest student business organization that focuses its efforts on developing interest in and preparing students for successful careers in business. This co-curricular organization works with schools state-wide, offering experience and understanding of American enterprise, as well as creating competent business leaders. FBLA gives the opportunity to travel, network, compete in a wide array of business-related events, become leaders at chapter, section, and national levels, and learn and prepare while developing confidence and serving the public. These teachings transcend high school, into college, careers, and life.

  Preparations for the event began early in the school year, with Pitman’s Ms. Anna Eshoo and Ms. Shawne Arnold volunteering our school to host, for its first time ever, the annual Central Section Leadership Conference. As our two FBLA advisers collaborated with the Central Section Director, Mr. Jacob Avila, the plans progressed towards the section’s CSLC. In early February of this year, the Central Section Team (Helen Chau and Stephanie Menor from  Redwood High School; Gilbert Falcon from Madera High School; Jazzlyn Sandoval and Blanca Escobedo from Lindsay High School; Rajman Randhawa from Gregori High School; and our very own Pitman Section Officer, Esmeralda Lopez), along with advisors met up to discuss the final steps and preparations for the event. Once everything was finalized, the final countdown began.

  The conference turned out outstanding with over twenty schools from California’s Central Valley being present during the competitions. All ran smooth, and Pitman was most certainly proud of its institution. However, the one true honor our school received was that of crushing the winning streak of twelve years in a row of RedwoodHigh School in our Sweepstakes Award. Pitman was crowned first place in receiving the most awards and high and qualifying places at CSLC for the first time ever! Pride gleamed most brilliantly in our eyes that day. Congratulations to all those who qualified for State Leadership Conference! Pitman FBLA recognizes you as follows:

• Armenta, Benito – Marketing, 1^st (team event)
• Attwal, Jasneek – Global Business, 4^th (team event); Health Care Administration, 2^nd
• Austin, Brian – Management Decision Making, 1^st (team event)
• Avalos, Angel – Intro. To Business Concepts, 5^th
• Azof, Broniell – Tec. Concepts, 5^th
• Baker, Andrew – Spreadsheet Applications, 4^th ; Tech. Concepts, 2^nd
• Berryhill, Jenner – Intro to Business Communication, 3^rd ; Management Decision Making, 1^st (team event)
• Bonner, Hannah – Personal Finance, 5^th ; Sports Management, 3^rd
• Burns, Ryan – Tech. Concepts, 1^st
• Cepeda, Martin – FBLA Principles and Procedures, 4^th ; Intro to Business Communications, 5^th
• Cepeda, Pauline – Future Business Leader, 5^th
• Day, Carter – Economics, 2^nd
• Day, Tanner – Business Math, 6^th
• Dhillon, Jolin – Accounting I, 3^rd
• Dunn, Gary – Cyber Security, 2^nd ; Tech. Concepts, 3^rd
• Garcia, Jordan – Entrepreneurship, 1^st (team event) ; Hospitality Management, 1^st
• Gonzales, Luke – Sports Management, 2^nd
• Gonzales, George – Global Business, 4^th (team event)
• Haynam, Debby – Marketing, 1^st (team event)
• Inman, Ashlyn – Business Law, 1^st ; Public Speaking II, 1^st
• Jeziorski, Jacob – Entrepreneurship, 1^st (team event); Job Interview, 2^nd
• Lopez, Esmeralda – Business Procedures, 1^st; Marketing, 1^st (team event)
• Lorenzi, Gina – Accounting I, 1^st
• Marson, Julia – Public Speaking I, 1^st
• McClellan, Alexandria – Business Procedure, 3^rd ; Entrepreneurship, 1^st (team event)
• Pressman, Brianna – Hospitality Management, 3^rd
• Reynoso, Gustavo – Economics, 6^th
• Samra, Sienna – Business Procedures, 6^th ; Business Communications, 7^th
• Van Winkle, Colin – Cyber Security, 1^st ; Intro to Tech Concepts, 1^st
• Wahid, Harman – Computer Applications, 3^rd
• Westlund, Emily – Intro to Business, 3^rd ; Intro to Business Communication, 4^th
• Williams, Benjamin – Management Decision Making, 1^st (team event); Business Communications, 5^th
• Wright, Hunter – Computer Applications, 5^th ; Database Design and Applications, 4^th
• Yang, Lilian – Global Business, 4^th (team event)
• Zavala, Monserrat – Intro to Business, 4^th
• Zuniga, Christina  – Hospitality Management, 5^th

  PitmanHigh School is extremely happy to have hosted such a successful business conference and to have broken the tradition of RedwoodHigh School being the top in the Central Valley. Pitman FBLA stands proudly this year as the most decorated FBLA schools in the Central Valley! FBLA wishes to thank all the efforts of our advisors, especially Ms. Eshoo and Ms. Arnold, without whom this would have never been a success!

  We look forward to the State Leadership Conference this upcoming April, and hopefully this year can also be the year Pitman competes at Nationals! Fingers crossed!