Former Kentucky State FBLA Vice President Cameron Hesson gave a speech at the event on the benefits of the club and how it helped him through a rough patch in his life. According to Garofalo, Hesson had a very difficult time during his high school years, and credits FBLA with getting him back on track. “Before FBLA, I was shy, a terrible speaker, and clueless as to what I wanted to do with my life,” Hesson said. “From the time I was elected to the State Executive Council [in] April of 2009 to the time I retired two years later, FBLA… provided me with extensive knowledge about business management and financial literacy.”

According to Hesson, Manual’s FBLA chapter places “in the majority of Regional and State competitive events,” in addition to sending many students to national conferences each year. Hesson also said that many Manual students have held high-ranking officer positions within the organization, including, he said, “Kim-Mai Le as National Secretary, whom [he] was honored to work for two years with in Kentucky FBLA.”

“I really do feel that [FBLA] prepares… its members for the real world since we get the chance to learn about different business fields and can network with hundreds of other students across the country,” Garofalo said.

FBLA’s next meeting is September 28 from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the senior cafeteria.

For more information about FBLA, visit the duPont Manual FBLA Facebook Page.