Jones College’s Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) chapter made a strong showing at the Mississippi State FBLA Competition in Biloxi, bringing home multiple top placements and securing their spot at the national level.
Out of 19 students who competed, 16 placed either first or second in their respective categories. Now, they’re setting their sights on the FBLA National Leadership Conference in Dallas, Texas, where they’ll compete against some of the best business students in the country.
Elisa Cook, a Jones College FBLA competitor, originally joined the organization to sharpen both her hard and soft skills. Now, as she prepares for nationals, she’s looking forward to meeting people, networking, and—hopefully—bringing home a win.
“I’ve learned so much from being in FBLA, from improving my confidence to building real-world skills,” Cook said. “Nationals is going to be a great experience, and I’m excited to see how far we can go.”
Jennifer Powell, Jones College’s FBLA advisor, said that she couldn’t be prouder of her students’ performance.
“This group has put in a lot of effort to prepare,” Powell said. “We did mock interviews, practice presentations, and really focused on making sure everyone was ready to compete at a high level.”
With their success at the state competition behind them, Jones College’s FBLA team is ready to take on the national stage.
Jones FBLA winners:
Alyse Lunsford – 1st place, Foundations in Accounting
Elisa Cook – 1st place, Impromptu Speaking
Ollie Hammonds and Elisa Cook – 2nd place, Emerging Business Issues & 1st place State of Chapter
Riley Smith – 1st place, Foundations of Economics & 2nd place Foundations of Accounting
Tyler Freeman, Lindsey Hull, Ethan Noffke – Technology and Computer Science
Tyler Freeman – 1st place Foundations of Computer Science
Lindsey Hull – 3rd place – Foundations of Cybersecurity
Ethan Noffke – Foundations of Technology
Elliot Sholtz – 1st place, Job Interview & 3rd place Entrepreneurship
Samantha Jordan – 1st place, Business Ethics
Samantha Jordan and Jayla Jones – 1st place, Marketing, Sales and Communications
Jayla Jones – 2nd place, Foundations of Sports Management and Marketing
Regan Shoemaker – 2nd place, Business Presentation
Caleb Fairley – 4th place, Business Presentation
Tanika Norsworthy – 2nd place, Foundations of Computer Science & 3rd place, Foundations of Communications
Evan Nix – 4th place, Foundations of Technology
Zion Cooper and D’Angelo McLaurin – 2nd place, Entrepreneurship
Eliza Holder – First place in Computer Applications
by Jayla Jones
