Colonia High School is home to many interesting and productive clubs. The school puts a strong emphasis on extracurricular activities that are beneficial to the student’s future. One of the most popular and acclaimed clubs in the school is Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA).
FBLA is an after school club that assembles the business-savvy students throughout the school to discuss ideas, news, and opinions. They cover all of the many aspects of businesses, companies, and enterprises. The group works all year on various projects and out of school activities that help its members gain a better understanding of the business world and how it works. The members also work to educate other students in the school who are not members of FBLA.
Avijeet Sachdev, a senior at Colonia High School and President of FBLA, is the president of FBLA. He has been a member of the club for three years and has seen it grow and develop substantially. In a recent interview, Sachdev explained, “Being a member for three years, I’ve been able to witness what has been good for the club. With my position and experience in the club, I’ve set out what I really want to be achieved this school year. Simply, I want to get as many students as possible working on a certain project.” Sachdev continued, “In the previous years, FBLA has only been about the State’s competition and the New York City trip at the end of the year. I hope to turn FBLA into the business hub of the school, where students can come in and work on a business that they’ve wanted to make, or to ask questions to the fellow students and advisors of the club, etc. The competitions and field trip are instrumental to our members, but having a club primarily focused on business is essential to the school, as well. Other than opening the club to those who are passionate about finance, technology, economics, entrepreneurship, etc., we still hope to place many members into the state competition and furthermore, the national competition.”
According to the New Jersey FBLA website www.njfbla.org, joining FBLA gives students the opportunity for community service, scholarships, conferences, competitions with trophies and cash awards, skill certification, and leadership skills. The state chapter of FBLA also has an executive board in which students can get involved with if they wish to pursue a career in business someday. The first New Jersey FBLA chapter was chartered in 1947 which means that this is a club that has been around for some time and will continue to endure through the years.
FBLA is a great opportunity for many students. Unlike many highly developed clubs that are similar to FBLA, however, there are no specific requirements or standards that students have to meet in order to be a member of the club. When asked about what it takes to be a part of FBLA, Sachdev responded, “The only requirement for students to join the club is ambition. We don’t require any precursory test to the members, but we love to see members that are passionate about something and are eager to learn. Simply put, we don’t have specific qualifications for the members-to-be, but we have expectations for each one.”
Even more-so than other clubs in Colonia High School, FBLA puts a strong emphasis on the future of its members. Each activity and project that the group takes on is taken very seriously and is directly aimed toward benefiting the future of the students involved. Former Colonia High School students who were members of FBLA universally agree that the club made them better prepared for college, and even life after college as they begin their careers. Avijeet Sachdev keeps in touch with many members who have graduated since the time they worked together in the club. He believes that club serves as a stepping stone into the next phase of a student’s life. “Former FBLA members have all graduated and moved onto college where they pursued interesting majors but still cherish their time at FBLA and the experience they earned as a member. FBLA not only helps teach how to work hard toward something that you love and are passionate about, but it also teaches you how the real world works.”
In response to the question of diversity in FBLA, Sachdev said, “FBLA consists of a giant pool of members with diverse backgrounds, and that helps create a network in the school of hard-working students with rigor. The club takes these erudite students and gives them the resources to do great things.”
Though there are many successful clubs throughout Colonia High School, there is no question which one stands out the most. The Future Business Leaders of America is a highly active after school club that is making strides every day to not only make a difference in the lives of its members and our schools students, but also to make a difference in the world. FBLA is not just a fancy title; these are the future business leaders of our nation.
