By Maya Gambhir, Staff Writer
As we kick off the school year, many River Hill clubs and organizations are preparing to welcome new members and start another amazing year.
One of River Hill’s largest and most well-known clubs is the Future Business Leaders of America, or FBLA, which provides students with a broad range of opportunities and experiences to prepare for professional environments.
As a part of the club, members meet regularly for lessons and various events aimed at sharing and implementing the program’s goal of fostering career skills development.
This year, Club Co-President Ivy Nguyen, senior, shares that she is “very excited to give back to our general members through professional networking and career workshops,” which form the structure of the club.
As Nguyen explains, her goal as a President is to organize “conferences and make sure members have as many opportunities as possible to get involved not only in their community, but also in professional environments.”
Coming into the 2025-26 school year, the club is looking to maintain its top-flight status in competitive events at the regional, state, and national levels. River Hill has achieved remarkable success in recent years, securing national placements, including the Champion Chapter, FBLA-Opoly, and eight national-level winners in 2025.
Co-President Maya Aminian, senior, says that last year, “we had great member involvement and success in competitive events. We seek to continue this success while also getting more professional network involvement and involvement with organizations in the community.”
One senior, Grace Matthews, has been a member since her freshman year, competing in various events each year and developing leadership and career-based skills.
“As an FBLA member, I came to a lot of the workshops, and I was very impressed with the quality of the events. Everything is really put together and helps students gain real-life skills for things such as interviewing.”
Other workshops the club has had to offer include investing, college admissions, and public speaking. Matthews enthuses that she is “looking forward to great opportunities this year!”
As many new students enter River Hill and are looking to explore new opportunities, those interested in business and leadership can find a place at current Co-President and Senior Matthew Sotomey explains that when he was a freshman, he got involved in the club “because [he] wanted to build skills in leadership as well as connections with other students since the club seemed like a very collaborative family.”
The club thrives on fostering connections, and everyone has a place in River Hill FBLA. Regardless of students’ individual interests and experience, “there really is something to gain for everyone,” Co-President Ivy Nguyen says.
As River Hill FBLA continues gearing up for another amazing year, the RHHS community can’t wait to see the amazing opportunities they will organize and the accomplishments they will achieve this upcoming year.