By: Matthew Hufford ‘27
The Wyoming Seminary Business Club is working on various initiatives to prepare for the upcoming 2027 FBLA State Competition in Hershey. FBLA, or Future Business Leaders of America, is an organization focused on business, leadership, and career development. Individuals involved in FBLA can compete in events regarding different business, financial, technology, and management topics. FBLA qualifiers happen in January, and members who advance to states will compete in Hershey from April 12-14, 2027.
Although it is months away, the Business Club has already begun preparing. One way is by holding FBLA preparation sessions, which occur every Wednesday from 3:00 to 3:30. According to Mr. Michael Silverman, one of the faculty advising the Business Club, these sessions are for members who want to “come by to get more information about your competition, ask questions about how best to prepare, or just spend some time actually working on your event.”
These sessions respond to concerns that Business Club leaders have about members being unprepared or not studying for their event. These concerns are justified, as Business Club members rated their satisfaction with performance in competitions at 6.56/10 on the Business Club End of Year Member Survey.
Business Club members also support the initiative for competition preparation. In May 2026, 77.8% of members said that they “would like to see more competitions and competition preparation sessions.” Most members when asked about FBLA felt that they were underprepared.
Alongside the practice sessions, the Business Club needs to prepare financially as well. With 51 members involved in FBLA, the Business Club administration and its members are ultimately responsible for paying membership fees and Hershey lodging costs.
Business Club Leaders plan on doing this in several ways. The Business Club sells concessions at the SEM football games, hosts fundraisers, and sells snacks during breaks in Fleck Hall. These financial initiatives have been mostly successful. Andrew Kurilla ‘29, a member of the Business Club Operations Group, which helps with fundraising efforts, said “the fundraising has been a success so far as we have sold a good amount of items and many people have bought from us.”
The Business Club also plans to reach out to alumni, who can donate to the club and help coach members for FBLA. Prem Patel ‘27, the Business Club’s Chief Development Officer said, “connecting with alumni helps students and club members connect with business owners and people who work in various different industries both across Northeastern Pennsylvania and around the country.”
The Business Club hopes that these combined efforts will allow them to have a successful season this year.