Each of Thomas County Central’s 20 Region 1 FBLA competitors placed in their event.

Thomas County Central High School FBLA students attended Region 1 competition at Moultrie Technical College on Friday. These students, along with 300 others from the region, participated in events and competitions that tested their business and computer knowledge.

Twenty students from the P.R.E.P. Academy at Thomas County Central High School competed in written and performance events. All 20 medaled in at least one of their events and qualified for the state conference at the Hyatt Regency in Atlanta.

“This is the largest number of FBLA members we have ever taken to a regional competition. We had high expectations for our students as they have always performed well, but qualifying 100 percent was beyond all of our expectations,” said Nick Haskin, FBLA adviser. 

First-place finishers include Daphne Frasch (Job Interview), Daphne Frasch & Krystal Castleberry (Management Decision Making), Krystal Castleberry and Kristin Miller (Business Presentation), Haley Elliott and Zack Michael (Web Design), Chandler Giddes (Client Service),

Nick Rudnik (Help Desk), Davis Jenkins (Business Communication), Davis Jenkins (Personal Finance), Max Carter and Blake Swann (Digital Design & Promotion).

Other awards include   Kayla Dawson (second, Economics), Kayla Dawson and Rebekah Poehler (second, Desktop Publishing), Rebekah Poehler (sixth, Business Communication),  Haley Elliott (third, Accounting), Mary Bea Carstens (seventh, Business Calculations), Noelle Stuart (fourth, Business Communication), Ngan Tran (fourth, Business Math), Chandler Giddes (seventh, Economics), Miranda Sanders (fourth, Intro to Business Communication), Mary Bea Carstens (ninth, Personal Finance), Lauren Santos (eighth, Personal Finance), Lauren Santos, Chandler Bryant, and Blake Swann (second, Business Ethics), Zach Giddes and Noelle Stuart (third, Emerging Business Issues), and Nick Rudnik (second, Impromptu Speaking).

“All of the credit goes to these kids,” said Haskin. “They put in the time to study and prepare and it shows. We have qualified students for nationals the past two years, and the work of those students has fueled a drive for our current FBLA students to reach that level.”

 “I am very excited and proud of the accomplishments of these remarkable students and the dedication and hard work of FBLA sponsor Mr. Nick Haskin. Our FBLA students have improved their regional performances over the last three years, establishing Thomas County Central High School as a contender on the state and national level.” stated Joe Sharp, principal

Other schools in Region 1 include Baker, Brooks, Calhoun, Clay, Colquitt, Cook, Crisp, Decatur, Dougherty, Early, Grady, Lee, Miller, Mitchell, Randolph , Seminole, Terrell, Thomas, Tift, Turner, Worth counties and the city schools located within those counties.