Academic investments pay off for LPS students at FBLA nationals

July 17, 2025

Lincoln Public Schools students became shining stars this summer by producing many bright moments at a national business conference.
 
High school students from East, North Star, Southeast and Southwest collected meteoric memories at the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) National Leadership Conference. They earned trips to Anaheim, Calif., for their work at the Nebraska FBLA State Leadership Conference this past spring. They took part in educational workshops, competitive events, an awards ceremony and tours of the Anaheim area.

East student Brad Bobaru was one of four Spartans who secured national recognition. He captured fifth place in the UX (User Experience) Design category for his knowledge of website design principles and guidelines. He joined teammates Annabelle Kumm, Emily Kumm and Konnor Garrett on the awards stage.
 
“I really enjoyed seeing all the studying I did pay off,” Bobaru said. “Having fun with the team the whole week of the conference was definitely special and helped me feel relaxed and comfortable.”

Southeast twin brothers Beau and Jack Cassell also returned from California with national hardware. They pocketed sixth place in Hospitality and Event Management for their awareness of hospitality concepts such as customer service, strategic planning and hotel organization.
 
Beau Cassell said the trip served as a capstone for a full year of important FBLA lessons.
 
“Through FBLA at Southeast, I’ve learned how to communicate clearly, lead with confidence and think critically under pressure,” Cassell said. “These are skills that don’t always come from a classroom, but from real experiences that career and technical student organizations like FBLA allow students to take part in. I’ve become more confident in myself and feel more prepared for college and my future career because of everything FBLA has pushed me to do.”
 
East
The Spartans collected a constellation-sized amount of success throughout the week. Garrett earned a second-place medal in the Economics category, and Emily Kumm vaulted into third place in the Introduction to FBLA contest. Annabelle Kumm pocketed one of the country’s top leadership honors when she became the 2025-26 national parliamentarian.

East FBLA Advisor Lori Anderson-Stowe said the Spartans spent hours preparing for their exams and presentations prior to nationals. They participated in study sessions and reviewed their work from previous state and national contests.

 
“Whenever you have someone place in the top ten it is extra special due to how competitive nationals is,” Anderson-Stowe said. “Economics is especially difficult since so many students take AP (Advanced Placement) Macro and/or Microeconomics classes. Konnor is the second member from East to place at nationals in that event. Brad competed in UX Design last year, so it was great seeing how well he did. Emily greatly improved her score in Introduction to FBLA from the state competition, demonstrating how hard work does pay off.”
 
Annabelle Kumm earned the national parliamentarian role by registering the top score on the FBLA parliamentarian procedures exam. She finished first in a field of nine candidates from Nebraska, North Carolina, New Jersey, Missouri, Maryland, Iowa, Illinois, Texas and Florida.
 
Kumm will advise 2025-26 FBLA President Yasha Nagathan of North Carolina in matters of parliamentary procedure at national meetings. She will also assist with election and voting processes, provide insight about FBLA organizational bylaws and answer questions from board members about meeting protocols.
 
Anderson-Stowe said Kumm had the support of the entire state delegation when FBLA leaders publicly announced the test results.
 
“Everyone from Nebraska was screaming when her name was called and she ran up on stage,” Anderson-Stowe said. “I am so happy that she has this opportunity where she will grow and use her leadership skills.”

“When I found out I was the winner, I jumped up and immediately hugged my sister,” Kumm said. “I could hear the entire Nebraska section cheer me on as I ran down to the stage for the installation ceremony. It was an unreal feeling. I could barely believe I had won by the time I got to the stage and received my medal. It was so amazing to hug the rest of the new national officers on stage, and it was a moment I will likely remember for the rest of my life.”
 
Securing the national parliamentarian role was the latest brilliant FBLA achievement for Kumm. She earned fourth place in the 2023 Introduction to Parliamentary Procedure national contest and second place in the 2024 Visual Design competition. She served as Nebraska state parliamentarian in 2023-24 and directed the FBLA’s partnership with the Alzheimer’s Association through the National FBLA Parliamentarian’s Executive Council in 2024-25.

 
Garrett captured his second-place award for showcasing in-depth knowledge about economics. He and other students answered 100 multiple-choice questions during their 50-minute test. The exam covered international trade and global economics, macroeconomics, supply and demand, productivity, market structures, investments and interest rates, monetary and fiscal policy, business cycles and the role of government in economics.
 
Garrett said it was thrilling to be one of ten finalists on the awards stage. Students learned their placements in real time from FBLA presenters, which gave him a chance to shine in the national spotlight.
 
“When my name was called, I felt proud of myself for achieving a national award, proving how the dedication of much time to the study of economics yielded worthwhile and meaningful results,” Garrett said.
 
Emily Kumm left the awards stage with a wide smile after receiving her third-place plaque. The Introduction to FBLA category gave students in ninth and tenth grades a chance to demonstrate their expertise about the organization. They answered 100 multiple-choice questions about the group’s history, programs, leadership structure, bylaws, publications and overall mission.
 
Bobaru and other UX Design contestants took a 100-question exam. The test covered subjects such as mobile and desktop web design principles, copyright laws and details about programs such as JavaScript, HTML and CSS. They also answered questions about design and typography subjects like leading, kerning, tracking and serif and sans serif fonts.
 
Bobaru and Annabelle Kumm said competitive events like UX Design were one of many teaching tools that FBLA offers for students.
 
“FBLA has shined a light on so many new career paths and things to learn about, as well as providing volunteering opportunities and fun competitions for everyone to participate in,” Bobaru said.

“Each year, we have so many opportunities to network with like-minded peers from across the country, learn from experienced professionals and win awards for our business knowledge,” Kumm said.
 
North Star
Six Navigators qualified for nationals with their work at the state conference. Brooke Adam, Kristi Chumber, Max Roberts, Rachel Harre, Carol Lin and Avari Osentowski finished in the top three spots in their Nebraska events.
 
Southeast
Beau and Jack Cassell said they enjoyed their award-winning experiences in California. In addition to a 100-question exam, the Hospitality and Event Management category also required students to complete an interactive role play presentation. Judges gave teams 20 minutes to prepare a seven-minute presentation about a scenario in the hospitality management and event planning industry.

 
“I have always loved these types of events in FBLA, but hospitality is definitely one of them I have enjoyed the most,” Jack said. “You are able to learn so much about the hospitality industry, and I get to bring in aspects of it that I have learned from my job. With it being such an impromptu presentation, it makes you a better presenter. Judges can hop in at any time and ask you questions, and it has definitely made me more confident.”
 
“Walking into that prep room, not knowing what challenge we’d be handed, and having just 20 minutes to prepare a presentation was intense, but in a good way,” Beau said. “The case study felt like a real business scenario, and getting to problem solve with my teammate is really exciting. Having my twin brother as my teammate definitely makes the experience so much more exciting and rewarding.”
 
Both brothers said persistence, confidence, friendships and communication skills have been some of FBLA’s positive byproducts.
 
“FBLA has helped me become a better leader, but even more than that, it gave me a place where I felt challenged, included and supported,” Beau said.
 
“It definitely wasn’t easy, but the FBLA chapter gave me a new perspective on leadership and perseverance that I will use for a long time,” Jack said.
 
Southwest
Xavier Sorto, Alaina Miller, Payton Wilkason, Alexandria Lionberger and Cole Wilkason represented Southwest. They spent time networking with many industry professionals and learned about multiple business topics. They also celebrated their 2024-25 success by going to an amusement park and a mini golf course.

 
Josh Hinrichs said those experiences made the national conference a worthwhile destination. He advises Southwest’s FBLA chapter and said the Silver Hawks gained a great deal from the trip.
 
“I hope they all appreciated the opportunity to compete at the national level and took away something from one of the workshops they attended,” Hinrichs said. “For my non-seniors, I hope they learned the importance of buckling down to study even more after state and can help me impress that upon any members who may qualify next year.”

East National FBLA Qualifiers

Agribusiness: Owen Wiebe, George Campbell, Alexander Costea
Coding and Programming: Arnav Agarwal
Economics: Konnor Garrett (second place in nation), Owen Wiebe, Alexander Costea
Insurance and Risk Management: Konnor Garrett
Introduction to Business Concepts: Supun Fernando
Introduction to FBLA: Emily Kumm (third place in nation), Shriish Sathish
Introduction to Financial Math: Supun Fernando, James Yu
Introduction to Information Technology: Supun Fernando
Journalism: Shriish Sathish
Personal Finance: Konnor Garrett
Public Speaking: Annabelle Kumm
Securities and Investments: Konnor Garrett
Supply Chain Management: Brad Bobaru, Owen Wiebe
UX Design: Brad Bobaru (fifth place in nation)
National Parliamentarian Contest: Annabelle Kumm (finished first on exam)

North Star National FBLA Qualifiers

International Business: Brooke Adam, Kristi Chumber
Organizational Leadership: Max Roberts
Public Policy and Advocacy: Max Roberts
Sports and Entertainment Management: Rachel Harre, Carol Lin, Avari Osentowski
UX Design: Brooke Adam

Southeast National FBLA Qualifiers

Hospitality and Event Management: Beau Cassell, Jack Cassell (sixth place in nation)
Sports and Entertainment Management: Beau Cassell, Jack Cassell

Southwest National FBLA Qualifiers

Advertising: Cole Wilkason
Business Communication: Cole Wilkason
Business Plan: Alexandria Lionberger, Alaina Miller, Payton Wilkason
Coding and Programming: Isha Valloppilly
Entrepreneurship: Xavier Sorto
International Business: Stefani Johnson, Isha Valloppilly
Introduction to Business Concepts: Daniel Yoo
Introduction to Marketing Concepts: Daniel Yoo
 
Visit home.lps.org/cte/student-organizations to learn more about career and technical student organizations like FBLA that are available at LPS.
 
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