The Mohawk Valley Community College chapter of the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) achieved remarkable success at the New Jersey/New York FBLA State Leadership Conference, held on March 22, 2025, at Kean University in Union, N.J.

The conference brought together more than 100 FBLA members from 13 colleges across New Jersey and New York, offering students the opportunity to network, attend workshops led by business professionals, and compete in various business-related events. MVCC was one of only two community colleges — and the only community college from New York State — to participate.

Seven MVCC students, accompanied by chapter advisors Ross Wittenberg, Grace Costello, and Yue Riesbeck, attended the conference with support from MVCC Student Engagement and Student Congress. Despite being newly reactivated in Fall 2024, the MVCC FBLA chapter made a strong impression in its first year of competition. Students prepared rigorously, dedicating time to studying, developing presentations during club meetings, and refining their skills with advisor guidance. Their efforts paid off — the MVCC FBLA was recognized as a Distinguished Chapter for successfully meeting the goal of recruiting at least 10 members, and students won multiple awards in competitive events, securing their advancement to the FBLA National Leadership Conference in Texas later this spring.

MVCC students won the following awards:

• Accounting Case Competition — Natalie Moranchel of Little Falls, third place
• Entrepreneurship Pitch Competition — Haf Sar and MuNiDa Be, both of Utica, sixth place
• Foundations of Accounting — Natalie Moranchel of Little Falls, second place
• Foundations of Accounting — Hannah Sook of Utica, third place
• Foundations of Entrepreneurship — Haf Sar of Utica, fifth place
• Foundations of Selling — Pio Nguyen of Utica, second place
• Foundations of Selling — Shabnam Hussein of Utica, sixth place
• Job Interview — Hannah Sook, Utica, second place
• Marketing, Sales, and Communication Case Study — Vincent Klein of Ava and Pio Nguyen of Utica, third place
• Retail Management — Vincent Klein of Ava, first place
• Retail Management — MuNiDa Be of Utica, second place

Additionally, MVCC Assistant Professor Ross Wittenberg was honored as this year’s New York FBLA Collegiate Outstanding Local Chapter Advisor. He will be formally recognized at the National Leadership Conference.

“We are incredibly proud of our students,” said Yue Riesbeck, MVCC Career and Employer Relations Specialist and FBLA chapter advisor. “They represented MVCC with professionalism, enthusiasm, and unwavering support for each other. The conference organizer even remarked on their outstanding energy and team spirit.”