Liberty’s very own Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) chapter is gearing up to go to their annual regional competition, taking place on Feb. 8 at Lindenwood University. Students will be participating in a wide range of events that cover various topics regarding business, finance, marketing and technology.

“We make everyone in FBLA take one test or one competitive event,” senior and head of competitive events Marisa Ebenstein said.

The events can consist of anything from a simple multiple choice test to a project one would have to prepare months in advance to a sales role play performance event. Many FBLA members took the tests for their events after returning from winter break, while many others are in preparation for presenting at regionals itself.

For his first year in FBLA, freshman Landon Uelsmann is competing in several different events including Coding and Programming, Introduction to Financial Math and the Virtual Business Finance Challenge. While Uelsmann has to wait until regionals for one of his events, the Virtual Business Finance Challenge, the other two he has already begun by taking the 100 questions, multiple choice test for Introduction to Financial Math and creating a program for the Coding and Programming project.

“I have started to make the program because you have to have it done before the competition,” Uelsmann said.

Where on one hand Uelsmann has already begun on working on his project for regionals, others are just beginning to brainstorm ideas for their presentations.

“Basically, you find a product that you like and you make a huge presentation on it saying how it works and basically persuade people,” junior Drew Kuykendal said of his event, Marketing.

And whether FBLA members are working or waiting until competition day arrives, success may already be brewing for the group as Liberty’s FBLA chapter has a reputation for placing high at regionals, even sending one student to nationals last year.

“I’ve been in FBLA all four years and in the last couple of years, we’ve had really strong competitors, like we’ve had people going to state every single year,” Ebenstein said.

However, until Feb. 8, Liberty’s FBLA members can rest assured that whether they are working or waiting until regionals that their work has the potential to create a brighter future in business.