Vidalia FBLA Has Success At State

Courtesy of Vidalia City Schools

Members of Vidalia High School's FBLA recently traveled to Atlanta to compete in the State FBLA Leadership Conference. During the conference, eight students competed in various categories against students from throughout the state, including all classifications, single A through 7A.

Of those eight students, five placed in the state's top 24, with two taking fourth place and qualifying to attend the FBLA National Leadership Conference in Orlando in June.

Bralie Carey placed fourth in the 'Business Management' category, while Dallas Handsome, competing in 'Public Speaking,' also qualified for the Nationals with a fourth-place finish.

'I am so proud of all of our students who competed in the state conference as we are going up against schools, in some instances, four times as big as us,' said FBLA sponsor Anna Helms. 'To reach the top 24 is an amazing feat in itself, but to place in the top five says so much about Bralie and Dallas. We have an amazing group of students at Vidalia High School, and I am so honored to be able to help guide them through their journey at VHS.'

Hillaree Hankerson just missed the cutoff for Nationals, finishing 9th in 'Sports and Entertainment Management.' J'Da Bacon in 'Impromptu Speaking' and Emma Vinson also finished in the top 24.

Longtime FBLA Sponsor and Work-Based Learning instructor Donna Collins was honored Posthumously with the state's 'Lifetime Achievement Award.' Collins, who lost her long battle with cancer earlier this month, was an intricate part of Vidalia's FBLA for many years and, according to Helms, 'is the reason I am doing what I am doing today.'