Student Success
Business Students Bring Home National Honors
RALEIGH, N.C. (August 21, 2026) – Wake Tech students earned national recognition at the 2026 Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) Collegiate National Leadership Conference in Las Vegas, capturing four top-10 finishes and earning the National FBLA Collegiate Gold Seal Chapter designation, one of the organization's highest honors for chapter excellence.
More than 1,300 students from nearly 200 colleges and universities representing 29 states and territories attended the conference, participating in professional development workshops, business competitions and networking opportunities with employers and educational institutions from across the country.
Twenty-one members of Wake Tech's FBLA Collegiate chapter competed at the national conference. Chapter advisor Michele Parrish, assistant professor of Network & Cloud Administration, Brian Anweiler, dean of Student Activities and Athletics, and Carla Osborne, professor of Graphic Design, also attended.
"It was an incredible experience taking our Wake Tech students to the FBLA Collegiate National Leadership Conference and watching them showcase their talent, leadership and dedication on the national stage," said Parrish. "I'm so proud of everything they accomplished. As the largest FBLA Collegiate chapter in North Carolina, Wake Tech continues to lead the way in student awards, student leadership and membership, and I can't wait to see what our students achieve next."
2026 FBLA Collegiate National Leadership Conference winners
- Mannal Amjad – 3rd Place, Future Business Facilitator
- Justin Smith – 6th Place, Computer Applications
- Maria Lans – 7th Place, Computer Applications
- Malexis Barinotto and Sehyun Park – 8th Place, Business Ethics
Barinotto reflected on her experience competing with Park against more than 40 other teams at the national level to address the ethical challenges of using artificial intelligence in the human resources industry.
"This conference taught me the importance of believing in myself, embracing new challenges and stepping outside my comfort zone," she said. "It's an experience I'll always be grateful for and one that inspired me to continue growing as both a student and a leader."
The conference also highlighted student leadership achievements. Neha Chowdary Amaraneni will serve as North Carolina FBLA Collegiate's vice president of membership for 2026-27, and attendees traded the official North Carolina FBLA Collegiate pin designed by Wake Tech student Rachelle Leu.
During the three-day event, students participated in workshops, networking sessions and business-focused learning opportunities. They also heard from keynote speaker Jared Ebersole, an FBLA alumnus and co-founder of Lectec, which sells kits for youths to build electric skateboards and scooters. Ebersole shared his entrepreneurial journey from student leader to business owner.
The conference experience provided students with valuable leadership development, professional connections and opportunities to apply classroom learning in real-world business scenarios while showcasing Wake Tech's continued excellence on the national stage.
