More than 12,000 of Americaai??i??s best and brightest high school students traveled to Atlanta toAi??ConnectAi??as they showcased their talents as future business leaders and vied for the opportunity to win more thanAi??$175,000Ai??in cash awards.Ai?? Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), held its National Leadership Conference in Atlanta from June 29Ai??through July 2.Ai?? Participants from across the United States attended this exciting conference to enhance their business skills, expand their networks, and participate in more than 60 business and business-related competitive events.

Recent graduates, Ben Burch, Mike Trezza, Eric Wolf and Liam Weiss from Stroudsburg High School received national recognition at the FBLA Awards of Excellence Program on July 2.

Wolf and Weiss competed in Health Care Administration earning 1^stAi??and 3^rdAi??place honors, respectively with Wolf receiving $1,000 and Weiss $300.Ai??Ai??Trezza and Burch teamed together for 5^thAi??place honors in Computer Gaming Simulation and Programming.Ai?? Stroudsburg High School had 11 additional students attend and compete in Atlanta as well.Ai?? They are recent graduates Pranitha Pothuri, Alexa Vaghenas, Samantha Tepper, Rachel Getty, Charlotte Cimino, Stuart Yaden and Erik Diemer, rising seniors Taylor Flanagan and Anthony Wong, and rising juniorsAi??Abby Thornton and Charles Cohen-Goehl.

The awards were part of a comprehensive national competitive events program sponsored by FBLA that recognizes and rewards excellence in a broad range of business and career-related areas. For many students, the competitive events are the capstone activity of their academic careers. In addition to the competitions, students immersed themselves in educational workshops, visited an information-packed exhibit hall, and attended motivational keynotes on a broad range of business topics.Ai??Ai??The Pennsylvania FBLA delegation participated in informational tours including CNN, Coca Cola, The College Football Hall of Fame and Stone Mountain.

Future Business Leaders of America-Phi Beta Lambda, Inc. is the largest and oldest student business organization with a quarter million members and advisers in over 6,500 active middle school, high school, and college chapters worldwide. Its mission is to bring business and education together in a positive working relationship through innovative leadership and career development programs.