By Shriya Gandham
High school is the perfect time to find yourself, whether it’s discovering your passions, friends, or likes/dislikes. Your involvement within our school walls will facilitate this exploration of self-identity and individuality, and what better way to get involved than through the many clubs East has to offer? East is not only diverse in its demographics but also its clubs. East has art clubs, language/culture clubs like Spanish club, Italian club, French club, Latin club, Indian club, Academic clubs like math club and physics club, competitive clubs like Science Olympiad and Model UN, environmental clubs like Project Green and Earthwise, and even a cultural dance club, Unity in Diversity! As you continue to explore the start of this new school year after returning to normalcy, FBLA is a club worth checking out.
FBLA, Future Business Leaders of America, is the nation’s largest student business organization and East’s largest club. It is a career-oriented club that provides its members with a great opportunity to get involved at East, develop leadership skills, participate in fundraising, learn about the business world, and build their resume!
At the school level, this year’s main objective is to implement more fundraising projects and prepare our chapter members for integration into the society by increasing American Enterprise literacy through various publications. Commons’ Cafe is FBLA’s renowned “small business” that sells seasonal confections during the school day. This year, the club plans to expand their menus and sell apple cider waffles, hot chocolate, coffee, and more. Working the Commons’ Cafe will increase your fundraising experience while helping the chapter fund money to cover State and National Leadership Conference expenses. FBLA’s instagram account @wehs_fbla publishes information about upcoming events so members can stay informed.
FBLA’s SLC, State Leadership Conference, happening in April 2023 in Rochester is the perfect time to compete and network with people across New York State. FBLA has something for everyone, whether you want to pursue a career in finance, law, journalism, medicine, or computer science, etc. Some of the events you could participate in include Accounting, Agribusiness, Banking and Financial Systems, Business Law, Cyber Security, Health Care Administration, Introduction to Informational Technology, Journalism, Network Design, Political Science, Sports and Entertainment Management, and more!
In the past 2 years due to Covid, Williamsville East FBLA’s member involvement has declined. This year, the officer team is working hard and taking great measures to resuscitate the Williamsville East FBLA chapter through facilitating chapter involvement. Stay tuned for a multitude of opportunities to get involved, enrich your professional and personal skills, and meet new people through FBLA this year!
