For many students, middle school is the time to explore new interests and build new skills. For Aubry Klingmann, joining the Future Business Leaders of America meant navigating a mistake that nearly ended her competition before it began.

While FBLA holds a membership that spans 200,000, its prevalence among middle school students, especially in Tennessee, is limited to a handful of schools.

With a connection to the High School division, White House Heritage is able to offer an early exposure to the business field for middle school students like Aubry.

A key component of FBLA and early success is healthy competition, locally and nationally.

FBLA’s National Leadership Conference is a key example of this, bringing together students from all over to share skills, make connections, and compete against each other in hopes of seeing themselves on stage.

In career exploration, Aubry was tested on workforce facts and skills: work hours, job applications, workplace behavior, and other abilities that already make her a strong future employee.

As she reflects on her 8th-place national title and her first year in the organization, a key hurdle comes to mind, or rather, a key wording that almost prevented her success.

When preparing for the state conference, Aubry received study materials and information for the wrong competition. With a similar title, initially, she believed she was preparing for a judged presentation event in career research, which she wouldn't have to present until April.

Aubry was supposed to be completing a test event, which she found out shortly before the test took place in early March.

With a setback so major, it would have been easy to give up on preparing and declare the competition a lost cause.

Aubry didn't back down.

She realized there were two ways this scenario could go: “I could sit in it, or I could get up and work for the outcome I want.”

And she wasn't alone.

Her advisors helped with 9th-period study sessions, and her friends called to support her.

Her drive and resilience were accompanied by people who cared about her success.

She didn't just find a trophy, but also the power of community, one of the pillars Aubry finds most significant in FBLA.

These connections carried her to the national conference, where she had the confidence and knowledge to do big things.

A student with big goals and aspirations, FBLA has given Aubry a foundation for success.

“The skills you build in FBLA are not little skills that can only be used exclusively; it's confidence, communication, and building block lessons.”

As she moves through her education, Aubry says her FBLA journey has only just begun. The skills she built this year are essential to grow in high school and will help her pursue a career in law.

What’s more, her experience has taught her the importance of helping others.

As an incoming 8th grader, she hopes to support her younger peers this school year, providing mentorship just as she found in others before.

On staying positive, Aubry plans to pass this knowledge down:

“Trying is the best thing you could ever do. Even if something throws you off your path, you can still do anything you set your eyes on.”