Heartland's Codding wins top award at state FBLA Competition

A Heartland Community College student took home three state awards, including a first-place finish at the Illinois FBLA Collegiate State Leadership Conference. 

Heartland sophomore Gage Codding (Hopedale, IL) finished in first place in the Entrepreneurship Pitch Competition and finished third in both the Job Interview and Business Presentation categories at the March 29-30 Conference held in Springfield. 

Throughout the conference, students competed in a variety of individual and team events focused on business skills. 

In addition to competition, attendees had the chance to attend workshops, hear from a keynote speaker, and engage with professionals from various industries. The conference allows students to grow both personally and professionally, while building connections with peers and business leaders from around Illinois. 

“The State Leadership Conference was an incredible opportunity for our students to apply what they’ve learned in the classroom to real-world scenarios,” said Megan Kayfish, co-adviser for the Heartland Community College Chapter of FBLA Collegiate. “We are proud of our members’ hard work and accomplishments.” 

"The chapter is now preparing for the National Leadership Conference, where Gage Codding will represent Illinois on the national stage," said Jeanette Diller, co-adviser for the Heartland Community College Chapter of FBLA Collegiate. 

The Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) is a student organization for motivated students who want to grow as leaders. FBLA has over 230,000 members nationwide and beyond.