By: Aryan Oza
COVID continues to run rampant throughout the county, and our youth continue to suffer from the lack of resources and education. Students of the River Hill High School Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) chapter have recognized this problem and decided to take action and partner with Lisa Smithson, principal of Murray Hill Middle School.
According to Mckinsey and Company, “students on average [are] five months behind in mathematics and four months behind in reading by the end of the school year”. Students continue to suffer at the expense of COVID-19 restrictions within the county. With this in mind, River Hill FBLA wanted to do what they could to help out a school within our community.
River Hill’s FBLA is best known for their workshops where members attend informative and hands-on meetings. Past workshops have ranged from learning personal branding all the way to a Shark Tank workshop where students have 10 minutes to develop a pitch on an assigned product. River Hill’s students have shown a great affinity towards these workshops so they have decided to take them elsewhere. With there being a need for middle school students and preparation for high school and beyond, River Hill FBLA decided to partner with Murray Hill Middle School.
When asked about the partnership, Ms. Smithson recounted that she “was astounded by the maturity and dedication that the students had. The [River Hill] students were able to adapt to the new Howard County guidelines and host google meets with my students. Not only did the [RiverHill] students really impact the [Murray Hill] students, but they gave invaluable advice that the students will be able to incorporate in their lives even after their years in high school”.
The partnership had a turnout of 42 students who appreciated the presentation which focused on time management and was presented by River Hill FBLA alumni Myla Thomas, a student at Syracuse University. She was also able to share her experiences as well as how she is able to utilize her skills of time management for college.
Overall, the partnership was successful and received great turnout. These students are an inspiring example of how the new generation will use their experience with technology as a tool to navigate the ever-increasing digital presence in the current age