THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, September 1, 1995 TAG: 9508300222
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: B04 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY HOLLY WESTER, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 85 lines
When 18-year-old Donny Rivera watched a recruitment video about Future Business Leaders of America last year, he never thought he'd be in the midst of the organization's conferences and competitions.
But this summer, Rivera, a 1995 graduate of Bayside High School, made his own news, when he and 16-year-old Shay Grant, a junior at Salem High School, made their way to FBLA's national conference at the Peabody Hotel in Orlando, Fla.
The Beach students were the only two from this area to compete at the national level, and Grant took home a fourth place in shorthand. More than 6,000 delegates attended the annual conference, which includes nearly 40 different events.
``I still can't believe it,'' Grant said of her award. ``I didn't expect to win at all. It's so hard to believe. I was in shock.''
FBLA adviser Janet Kreider from Salem, and Bayside co-advisers Brenda DeJarnette and Marie Parr accompanied the students.
Both Grant and Rivera, whose specialty is Accounting II, had to take home first places at the state tournament in Roanoke back in April to advance to nationals.
To prepare for their individual contests, the students practiced and studied their subjects. While Grant listened to dictation tapes and took shorthand during sessions at the conference, Rivera spent time in his hotel room plowing through a variety of accounting books he borrowed from his mother.
Since FBLA is a professional organization, the students were required to abide by a dress code established by the national board of directors. While the mercury reached for 100 degrees, Grant dressed in blouses and skirts and Rivera sported dress shirts, ties and slacks.
Wearing business attire didn't make the two feel grown-up and professional. ``It was a pain, actually,'' Rivera said, referring to the relentless heat.
Elections for national FBLA officers are held annually at the conference, so candidates campaigned and caucused throughout the weekend. Hopefuls passed out everything from candy to soft drinks to computer disks - all for the votes of students.
Extracurricular activities included dances every night, escapes to the hotel's pool and jacuzzi, as well as trips to Disney World, Epcot, MGM and Universal Studios.
Grant and Rivera roomed with other Virginia competitors and were thrilled to make friends. ``The people there were really friendly,'' Grant said. ``Everyone was there for competition, but everyone wanted to have fun and meet new people.''
When they weren't playing, they were competing. Grant's bout, held at a local high school, involved taking shorthand as someone dictated at speeds of 60, 70 and 80 words per minute, and transcribing her notes using Word Perfect. With no instruction, she had to put in paragraphs and add proper punctuation.
``There's a lot more to shorthand than copying from a book,'' said Barbara Whaley, Grant's teacher at Salem.
Grant said her nerves really kicked in when the printers started acting up. ``Everybody had to wait to print,'' she said of her 25 competitors. ``I was losing time. All I could think was, `Oh gosh, I'm not going to place.' ''
Rivera, who had never been to Orlando before, was more anxious than nervous. ``My mind was on Disney World,'' he recalled of his competition.
More than 75 competitors took the hourlong Accounting II written test, which asked around 100 multiple choice questions about everything from accounting partnerships to cost accounting.
As soon as he finished his test, Rivera grabbed a pre-packed bag of recreation clothes, made a quick change in the restroom and sprinted to the bus headed for the amusement park.
While Rivera, a freshman at the University of Virginia, plans to look into Phi Beta Lambda - the college version of FBLA - Grant has two more years left to compete at the high school level.
Teachers and advisers alike are proud of their students' accomplishments and look forward to this year's batch. Whaley added, ``It's really exciting to see your students do all of these things, especially when you have faith in them.'' ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by CHARLIE MEADS
Shay Grant, left to right, Donny Rivera and their Future Business
Leaders of America advisers Janet Kreider, Brenda DeJarnette, Marie
Parr and Barbara Whaley.
by CNB