ATLANTA — Ware County High School’s Future Business Leaders of America chapter was awarded the Gold Chapter of the Year here at the 2025 Georgia Future Business Leaders of America State Leadership Conference.
The honor was presented during the March 13, 2025 conference held at the Hyatt Regency.
Chapters earn points for designations of Gold, Silver, or Bronze chapters. They participate in the many activities offered by Georgia FBLA in the areas of chapter management, conference attendance and recognition, recruitment, public relations, and participation in national and state projects.
Twenty-three members represented the WCHS chapter at the . They were among more than 4,000 students from across the state who advanced from region in their retrospective events.
Students competed in 100 different competitive and recognition events. The competitive events program recognizes the top members in objective tests, interview events, technical events, skills events, written report events, and speaking/ performance events.
Senior Joy Lin, a fouryear member and chapter officer for three years as well as the 2023-24 GAFBLA State Secretary, alongside her freshman teammate Santiago Cochon, a first year member, placed third in the state in Sales Presentation. They automatically advance to Nationals in Anaheim, Cal. this summer.
Lin also placed fourth in state in Future Business Leader of America.
Sophomore Tessa Dial, a second-year member, placed fifth in Introduction to Social Media Strategies. Junior Carlie White, a second- year member and chapter officer, placed sixth in Electronic Career Portfolio.
Juniors Ally McIntire, Kevin Lin, a second-year member and chapter officer, and Matthew Davis, a first-year member, placed sixth in Local Chapter Annual Business Chapter Report.
Junior Juan Manabat, a third-year member and 2024-25 GAFBLA State Secretary, placed ninth in Client Service.
Beyond competitive events several members were recognized and awarded for their accomplishments in FBLA’s Community Service Awards, Business Achievement Awards and Member Recruitment Awards.
The Community Service Awards Program recognizes members with extraordinary commitment to community service at six different levels: 50-, 100-, 200-, 300-, 400- and 500--hour levels.
Dallas Benefield, Kevin Lin and Rylee Morris achieved the 100-Hour Award Level. Tessa Dial achieved the 500-Hour Award Level and was presented a plaque from GA FBLA for her dedication to service.
The Business Achievement Awards Program recognizes levels of leadership achievement, each consisting of business, education and leadership elements.
This program recognizes a member’s participation in FBLA conferences, programs and partnerships, as well as activities integrated into business classroom.
Micah Robbins achieved the Contributor Level. Kevin Lin completed Contributor and Leader Level. Juan Manabat and Rylee Morris received completed Contributor, Leader and Advocate Level.
Joy Lin, Dallas Benefield and Tessa Dial completed all four levels including their Capstone project and were awarded a plaque for their hard work and dedication to the BAA program.
Members can earn recognition by spreading the word about FBLA and recruiting new members to our association.
Ware County FBLA Adviser Lauren Carter with newly elected 2025-26 FBLA State Secretary Juan Manabat.
Tessa Dial (left) receives a plaque for completing 500 hours of community service the last two years and one for completing all four levels of the Business Achievement Awards including a Capstone project. Dallas Benefield also received a plaque for completing all four Business Achievement levels including a Capstone project.
Juan Manabat (left photo) placed ninth in Client Service. Carlie White (middle photo) finished sixth in Electronic Career Portfolio. Tessa Dial (right photo)was sixth in Introduction to Social Media Strategies.
7 Carlie White and Tessa Dial were recognized for Membership Madness, recruiting five members this year. Joy Lin and Juan Manabat received the Membership Mania Award for recruiting 10+ members this year.
Rylee Morris, Ally Mclntire and Tessa Dial were given the opportunity to host a workshop at SLC called Conquering the Art of Communication, which focused on different types of communications to enhance your communication skills in business and your personal life. They also gave strategies on how to receive constructive criticism and view feedback when delivered properly as an opportunity for improvement and growth and not a personal attack.
The Ware County Chapter was awarded several other prestigious awards including adviser Lauren Carter, who received a plaque for Adviser of the Year, to State Officer Joy Lin.
Ware County’s Battle of the Chapters team, comprised of Juan Manabat, Rylee Morris and Tessa Dial finished third out of the Top 10 chapters in the state.
Juan Manabat and Joy Lin were recognized as nominees in Who’s Who in FBLA WCHS also completed the Champion Chapter program, which is a national program recognizing a chapter’s participation in a variety of projects and activities.
The program encourages local chapters to plan projects and activities to enrich the experiences of members at the local, region, state and national levels, which in turn helps to increase local chapter membership and participation. The WCHS chapter received an award for completing each of the four seasons — Summer Starter, Shaping Success, Service Season and CTE Celebration.
Juan Manabat was recognized and awarded for his service as 2024-25 Region 2 officer and named state secretary.
Joy Lin (left photo) placed fourth in Future Business Leaders of America. Lin and Santiago Cochon (right photo) were third in Sales.
Ally Mclntire, Kevin Lin and Matthew Davis finished sixth in Local Chapter Annual.
WCHS’s Local Officer Team received Chapter of the Year honors. Picture are (1-r) Dallas Benefield, Tessa Dial, Rylee Morris, JV Manabat, Carlie White and Kevin Lin. Not pictured are Joy Lin and Christina Davis.
