New business club to send four to state

Members of the new business club at Colfax High School scored exceptionally well for their first year of competition. The Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), only a few months into its creation, had four students qualify for state at the regional competition last Wednesday in Spokane.

Students Ryan Christopherson, Emma Gingerich, Kurt Moore and Nick Johnson each placed in the top five for their respective events. Johnson and Moore paired up and placed in the top five in a team competition.

They qualified to compete at the state FBLA event in Spokane April 6 through 8.

Colfax high school business teacher Tina Scholz founded the club early in the school year. After talking with an official in the state’s education department, Scholz realized FBLA could work at Colfax.

She spoke with several students and the club currently has 16 members.

The new group meets twice a month during lunch break. Students used their own time to train for the regional FBLA event, Scholz said. She passed out a list of the club’s 50 subject categories, complete with web sites for the students to visit.

“I didn’t realize it would fit a niche so well. It just grew on its own. It’s giving kids another opportunity to be involved,” Scholz said.

Superintendent Michael Morgan shared the success at the last school board meeting, Feb. 7.

“It’s really good for a first year,” Morgan told the Gazette. “Typically the first year you have to just figure out how to do the contest.”

Christopherson scored first in Business Math and second in Introduction to Technology Concepts.

Gingerich placed second in creed recitation. Moore placed fourth in FBLA principles and procedures. Johnson placed fifth in marketing. The Johnson and Moore duo placed fifth in the Global Issues team event.