Five MMI students advance to FBLA National Leadership Conference

MMI Preparatory School students Syed Qadri, Jessica Smith, Jonathan Smith, Emily Seratch, and Allison McGeehan will represent the school at the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) National Leadership Conference, which will be held June 29 to July 2 in Chicago. 

The students qualified for the national event after placing in the top 10 at the Pennsylvania State Leadership Conference, which was held April 13-15 at the Hershey Convention Center in Hershey. Many of MMI’s 24 representatives were making their first trip to the state competition. They attended workshops, viewed student presentations, networked with business professionals, and competed in their own events.

Seratch placed first in Client Service; the team of Qadri, Jessica Smith, and Jonathan Smith came in third for Public Service Announcement; and McGeehan took fifth for Introduction to Business Communication.

Qadri is the son of Syed and Saffiyah Qadri, Drums; Jessica and Jonathan Smith are the daughter and son of Jonathan Smith and Beatrice Russo-Smith, White Haven; Seratch is the daughter of Frank and Sarah Seratch, Hazleton; and McGeehan is the daughter of Thomas and Sandra McGeehan, Drums.

“We received compliments several times from hotel personnel, security guards, and FBLA advisers and staff. I was extremely proud of our students and the way they conducted themselves at the conference,” MMI FBLA Chapter Advisor Katherine Zucco said.

Additionally, MMI’s chapter won first place for the Local Market Share Award, which is given to the school having the highest percentage of high school students in an FBLA Club Chapter, and Keenan Overa placed ninth in a special open-forum test in Leadership. Overa is the son of Timothy and Lori Overa, Drums.

Nearly 40 percent of the MMI upper school student population is involved in the FBLA Club.The 24 students who represented MMI’s chapter at the state conference competed among 4,300 other student members. The five students who are advancing to nationals will compete among 8,000 other student members.