LA GRANDE — Five Grant Union students advanced to the state Future Business Leaders of America conference after taking top honors at the regional competition in La Grande on Thursday, Feb. 3.

The students will compete at the FBLA State Business Leadership Conference April 8-9 at Oregon Convention Center in Portland, according to Stacy Durych, Grant Union’s computer technology education and business teacher.

About 200 students from 12 schools competed at the event, which was held at Eastern Oregon University.

Two students took home the first-place awards: Luke Jackson for business management and Heidi Jackson in business procedures. Madelyn Bailey finished second for impromptu speaking, and Morgan Walker and Alicie Archibald took third place for hospitality, event management and marketing.

Although only those who finished in the top third qualified for the state conference, Max Bailey and Katelyn Rigby earned an honorable mention in network design.

The competitive events at FBLA range from business-related presentations to objective tests, public speaking and problem-solving in a business management or technology scenario. Events are scored by a panel of judges.

FBLA is an organization for students in career and technical education that gives them the opportunity to take part in leadership activities, competitive events and learning programs.

The group has upwards of 190,000 members in 5,200 chapters across the country and abroad.

Durych, in her first year at the high school, said Grant Union has had an FBLA chapter for many years.

Thursday’s event in La Grande had been the first in two years because of the pandemic.

Seventeen students attended the event, although not all of them competed. Some, Durych said, were there for the experience.

Not only did those students get to walk around the university campus and get a taste of college life, but they also learned about scholarships and financial aid that could help them get a post-secondary degree.

One of those students, Durych said, was her non-biological “heart daughter,” Jupiter Stephens, who lives with Durych and her family. Stephens had not considered attending college before Thursday but became inspired after walking around the EOU campus.

“Her eyes just opened up,” Durych said, “and she said, ‘I want to go to college here.’”

Stephens’ realization that a university degree is attainable illustrates how the FBLA conference can reach students.

“You’re doing things you don’t normally do every day,” Durych said.

Students who participate in FBLA find their horizons being broadened as they interact with others, learn new skills and gain new life experiences, Durych said.

“Then,” she said, “they begin to ask themselves: What is possible down the road?’”