Eliot Baez with his awards. Courtesy photos.
SANTA MARIA — The Santa Maria High School Future Business Leaders of America Chapter was recently recognized for their participation and contributions to the March of Dimes and Government Awareness Projects during the California FBLA State Leadership Conference at the Sacramento Convention Center.
Fourteen Saints and one Righetti Warrior competed various events and attended business workshops with 2,300 FBLA high school students. The state leadership competition is designed to offer students a chance to qualify for the National Leadership Conference in Texas this summer.
Tenth-grader Eliot Baez placed second in Intro to Information Technology and sixth place in Networking Concepts, making him eligible to compete in the nationals and marking the first time in more than 20 years a Saint has earned that right.
“The state conference was nothing short of being heavily competitive,’’ Baez said. “However, FBLA has also done an excellent job of incorporating inspirational speakers and workshops useful in conditioning its members to become the next generation of the nation’s business leaders.’’
Back Row: Isaac Ochoa, Isabella Blanco, Jacqueline Mendoza, Lizeth Guzman-Calderon
Front Row: Alejandra Fulton, Righetti Adviser, Lance Barredo, ERHS, Briana Nunez, Alejandra Cabrera, Nashali Vicente, Eliot Baez, Berenice Lopez Vega, Andrea Gutierrez, Lourdes Asuncion, Esmeralda Morales, Alexia Espejo, Eduardo Santos-Santiago, and Cindy Quaid, SMHS Adviser.
“My fourth and final year at the State Leadership Conference will be remembered because I networked with other outgoing seniors in FBLA and I was able to congratulate my friend on making it to the National level of his competition,” said senior and SMHS President Alejandra Cabrera.
The students also had time to listen to keynote speaker Carlos Ochoa and tour the state capital and Old Town where they learned about California’s state history, according to Saint Business Teacher and FBLA Advisor Cindy Quaid.
“Carlos Ojeda Jr.’s speech was very inspiring. His message of “Your Voice is Your Power” was an inspiration to me as a teenager,’’ said Nashali Vicente, who is in the ninth grade.