FBLA
Future business leaders ready for the test
By Katherine Lacaze
Seaside Signal
Seaside High School’s
new co-curricular Future
Business Leaders of America
chapter will help students put
their business, entrepreneur-
ship, technology and man-
agement skills to use in their
classrooms, community and,
eventually, careers.
“The best part of FBLA is
giving students a real-world
connection with what they’re
learning in the classroom,”
said Mike Verhulst, the new
business and technology
teacher.
Verhulst comes to Seaside
High School with 13 years
of experience at the Parkrose
School District in Portland.
He is replacing teacher Mike
Brown, who retired at the
KATHERINE LACAZE/FOR SEASIDE SIGNAL
Mike Verhulst, the incoming business and technology teach-
er, is starting a Future Business Leaders of America chapter at
Seaside High School this fall.
end of the school year.
With him, Verhulst also
brings his experience as an
adviser for FBLA, a national
organization through which
students participate in career
development programs with
other young leaders across
the region, state and coun-
try. FBLA’s partnership pro-
grams at the middle school-
and college level are Middle
Level and Phi Beta Lamb-
da, respectively. Through
the program, students have
access to a variety of schol-
arships, cash awards and in-
dividual and chapter recogni-
tion programs.
Putting knowledge to
the test
Verhulst, who got his
undergraduate degree from
Idaho State University, is
developing the Seaside
FBLA chapter as “a blend
between a club and a class.”
The activities and com-
petitive programs offered
through FBLA will comple-
ment students’ classroom
experiences.
At the State Business
Leadership Conference, to
be held in Portland in April
2017, students can partici-
pate in one or two of more
than 60 competitive events
that test their knowledge
and skills in a wide range of
business and career-related
areas. Students will prepare
for competition throughout
the year.
Some of the events re-
quire a judged presenta-
tion using equipment to
demonstrate a social media
campaign, public service
announcement, graphic de-
sign portfolio or sales pre-
sentation. Speech events
include impromptu speak-
ing and two levels of pub-
lic speaking. Other events
include submitting a report
or project to be prejudged,
in addition to presenting in
front of judges at the con-
ference. Students also can
take a 100-question multi-
ple-choice objective test in
accounting, business com-
munication, business law,
personal inance or 18 other
topics.
Depending on the cat-
egory, events require par-
ticipation as an individual,
team or chapter. Students
can compete in one perfor-
mance event and one writ-
ten or online test, which
Verhulst referred to as the
bonus events, or two written
tests.
Verhulst encourages all
his students to compete in
a public speaking, interac-
tive role-playing or project
development event, as those
more rigorously prepare
them for successful careers
by testing their knowl-
edge and skills in a work-
force-simulated competitive
environment.
“Watching students grow
in their presentation abil-
ities is a huge piece within
FBLA,” he said.
GO
GULLS!
GOOD LUCK
TO ALL FALL
ATHLETES,
TEAMS &
COACHES!!
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