Schools
Students represent Chesterfield at leadership conference.
By Nick DeRatto
Aug 6, 2008 - 9:11:37 AM

Thomas Dale students Ryan Horn (middle) and Bhavik Shah (right) earned top honors at regional and state competitions, securing a place at the recent FBLA-PBL National Leadership Conference.

For any member of the Future Business Leaders of America – or their college counterpart, Phi Beta Lambda – one of the most prestigious events to attend is undoubtedly the National Leadership Conference. There, students listen to guest speakers from across the business community and compete in business and leadership development events for national recognition.

As students from across the country converged in Atlanta for this year’s conference on June 26-29, Chesterfield County was among those represented. Recent Thomas Dale graduate Bhavik Shah and rising Thomas Dale senior Ryan Horn were among those competing during the national conference.

“I am extremely proud of them to win in Virginia and to go on to the national competition,” says Robyn Hilton, head of the business department at Thomas Dale. “They are both excellent students and took the competition very seriously. It was a pleasure to go with them.”

With over 50 different events offered during the conference, Horn selected Accounting II, while Shah picked Business Calculations. To attend the conference, participants must place either first or second in the regional and state competitions. Horn received second in the region and second in state, while Shah received first in the region and state, as well as sixth in the nation.

“It was real competitive, so it was just great to win and place so high in the nation,” says Shah.

For Business Calculations, Shah was required to know how to perform a number of calculations found in the business world, calculations that included mark-ups and discounts, investments, bank records, insurance, interest rates, payroll, ratios and proportions, depreciation, consumer credit, and different tax calculations.

“Time was essential when answering the questions,” says Shah. “However, I had to make sure I was quick and accurate to allow myself to place. Without accuracy and speed, placing at the national level would have been almost impossible.”

Shah should know. Though this was his first time competing at the state and national levels, he has competed in the regional competitions for the past three years, bringing home first place each time.

”I had done well in the past, but never went to the state competition because it was always during spring break. This year I decided to do it,” says Shah.

Also competing for the first time at the national level, Horn’s Accounting II competition required him to answer questions about accounting as well as create financial statements. Though he didn’t place nationally, Horn enjoyed the conference experience.

“This was one of the biggest things that I have ever been to. It was pretty amazing to see 7,000 people in one place with the same goal,” says Horn. “The best part was getting to network and meet people that I wouldn’t have had any other way of meeting. I learned a lot of leadership skills that I can incorporate into every day life.”

Set to start his final year of high school, Horn plans on competing again next year, hoping to earn another spot at the national competition. After graduating, he hopes to attend either UVA or JMU, most likely majoring in accounting. Shah also plans on attending JMU to study business and finance, hoping to start a chapter of Phi Beta Lambda there if he can generate enough interest.

“I think that they will be very successful,” says Mary Beth Johnson, Accounting, Business Management, and Personal Finance teacher at Thomas Dale. “They have good heads on their shoulders, are business-minded, and strive to be successful.”

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