Lincoln Public Schools students showcased tidal waves of talent this summer during one of the biggest business contests in the scholastic ocean.
Thirty-three students from East, North Star, Southeast and Southwest traveled to San Antonio for the 2026 Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) National Leadership Conference. They joined thousands of people at the convention, which featured competitive events, educational workshops, networking opportunities and certification programs.
East
Annabelle Kumm notably capped her East career with a second-place medal in the Future Business Leader (FBL) contest. FBLA leaders refer to FBL as the organization’s most prestigious event. FBL contestants are the final medal recipients announced at each year’s awards ceremony.
Kumm said she was elated to earn the prestigious honor. She served as FBLA national parliamentarian during the 2025-26 school year, which required her to have a full workload at the conference. She successfully balanced her responsibilities as national parliamentarian with the rigorous requirements of the FBL contest.
“As a national officer, the National Leadership Conference is our biggest event of the year, which means our schedules were just as packed,” Kumm said. “Running around the conference to help with elections, rehearse sessions and present workshops, my competitive event was just about the last thing on my mind. So, when I was called up on stage for the very last event, I was happily surprised. It was a great feeling to be handed a trophy surrounded by some of my greatest friends in the world. It is definitely a moment I will remember fondly for a long time.”
Lori Anderson-Stowe said she has been awestruck with Kumm’s achievements over the past four years. Anderson-Stowe advises East’s FBLA chapter and has worked with her on a wide range of projects, meetings and activities. She said Kumm’s maturity and dedication were evident to everyone in San Antonio.
“While she was competing, she was also greeting members, attending meetings, speaking at sessions and workshops and practicing for ceremonies,” Anderson-Stowe said. “Being able to place in FBL while being a national officer is a testimony as to how special and hardworking she is.”
After submitting a cover letter and resume, Kumm took a comprehensive exam that covered everything that could be taught either in a business class or found in FBLA guidebooks. She aced both the test and a separate preliminary interview, which landed her a spot among the contest’s top 16 candidates. She then shared her past experiences and future plans with a panel of judges in the final interview.
Kumm said she especially enjoyed working with the national team over the past year. Her main duty as national parliamentarian was to lead FBLA’s new partnership with the Alzheimer’s Association. She and her teammates developed more than a dozen national initiatives to raise awareness about Alzheimer’s. She also led a national fundraising campaign that netted more than $126,000 in donations.
“More than anything, I learned so much about community involvement and the importance of servant leadership,” Kumm said. “Large goals can only be achieved with the help of every member, no matter how small an individual action may seem. This experience has meant so much to me, and I’m so grateful to have been a part of the FBLA national team.”
Anderson-Stowe said she enjoyed watching Kumm help her fellow Spartans each day. She felt Kumm strengthened the entire group with her energetic and positive personality.
“On the local side, Annabelle ran fun and informative weekly meetings with our members,” Anderson-Stowe said. “Our chapter grew by over 20 members this last year, and a large part of that was due to Annabelle’s leadership. She has encouraged members to grow and take advantage of opportunities that FBLA has provided.”
Eight fellow Spartans also traveled to the conference. Brad Bobaru, Sukruth Jangala, Emily Kumm, Lucas Neamu, Joshua Ng, Shriish Sathish, Gabriel Wick and Arthur Yu competed in multiple events.
Bobaru, Jangala and Sathish finished in the top 16 spots of the Public Service Announcement category. Emily Kumm was also elected as vice president of the Nebraska FBLA organization for 2026-27.
North Star
Seven Navigators made their way to Texas for national contests. Owen Berg, Keegan Joel, Edem Looky, Jace Medina, Kobe Merkel, Isaac Rabago and Max Roberts qualified for the trip after doing well in their state events. Roberts led the way with state championships in the Organizational Leadership and Business Law categories.
Southeast
Southeast made a major splash at the conference with three national finalists. Beau Cassell, Jack Cassell and Jeffrey Ogbonnaya advanced to the top tier of their competitions during the trip. The Cassell brothers finished second in the Community Service Project contest and eighth in the Business Management event. Ogbonnaya returned home with a fifth-place trophy in the Human Resource Management competition.
Southeast teacher John Seymour said he was pleased with their FBLA accomplishments. Seymour, who chairs the school’s business department, said it was impressive to have a trio of Knights representing Southeast in medal-winning fashion.
“Having three students finish in the top ten nationally is an incredible accomplishment,” Seymour said. “At the National Leadership Conference, students are competing against the best from across the country, so earning a place on the national stage is a testament to their dedication and professionalism.”
Beau and Jack Cassell both said it was rewarding to have Southeast mentioned as one of the top schools in the Community Service Project event. Southeast chapter members partnered with the Alzheimer’s Association for multiple school and community events. The Knights organized fundraisers, expanded awareness with educational programs and gave members opportunities to make a difference throughout Lincoln.
“It meant so much to see months of planning, hours of volunteering and the passion of our entire chapter pay off,” Beau said. “Even though Jack and I were the ones who competed, the project was truly a chapter-wide effort.”
“Beau and I had the opportunity to present it, but it represented so much more than the two of us,” Jack said. “It reflected an entire year of work from our chapter.”
Business Management contestants had to demonstrate their understanding of core management principles through an objective test and a role-playing scenario. They applied their knowledge to real-world business situations that involved planning, organizing, leading and decision-making within an organizational setting.
Ogbonnaya displayed his human resources expertise by doing well on a 50-minute written exam. The 100 questions covered topics such as employee compensation and benefits, labor relations, collective bargaining, performance management, labor market statistics, reference checks, human resources planning and employee training and development.
Madeline Velez, Jack Paulson, Ryan Hazen, Arto Driver, Anna Friendt and Par Se also competed for Southeast at the conference. Jack Cassell said he was proud of everything the Knights accomplished in their FBLA activities.
“Just over two years ago, Southeast did not have a single student attend the Nebraska State Leadership Conference. This year, we had nine members represent our school at the National Leadership Conference, and even more qualified to compete,” Jack said. “Seeing that kind of growth has been one of the most rewarding parts of my high school experience. It shows what can happen when students buy into something bigger than themselves and work together toward a common goal.”
Southwest
Eight Silver Hawks enjoyed their experiences at nationals. MacKenna Bell, Carter Brady, Addi Psota, Alex Shaeffer, Harnoor Sidhu, Xavier Sorto, Carter Stock and Owen Wright participated in multiple contests, breakout sessions and educational events.
Southwest business teacher Josh Hinrichs said he was happy to watch students make lifelong memories. Hinrichs advises Southwest’s FBLA chapter and coordinated the trip with other members of the Lincoln delegation.
“In addition to being able to compete against the best business students from across the nation, NLC also provides a great opportunity for students to network with over 15,000 people through various workshops and other social opportunities,” Hinrichs said.
The conference concluded a successful year for Southwest’s chapter. Bell earned a state championship in the Graphic Design category, and Schaeffer captured five state awards. He finished second (Advertising), third (Insurance and Risk Management), fifth (Personal Finance) and sixth (Economics) in solo categories. He and Sorto teamed up to win a silver medal in the Entrepreneurship event.
East National FBLA Qualifiers
Data Science and AI: Arthur Yu
Future Business Leader: Annabelle Kumm (second place in nation, also served as national parliamentarian)
Introduction to Business Concepts: Gabriel Wick
Introduction to Retail and Merchandising: Emily Kumm (also elected 2026-27 Nebraska FBLA vice president), Joshua Ng
Public Service Announcement: Brad Bobaru, Sukruth Jangala, Shriish Sathish (top 16 in country)
Securities and Investments: Lucas Neamu
North Star National FBLA Qualifiers
Digital Video Production: Owen Berg, Edem Looky, Jace Medina
Business Management: Keegan Joel, Kobe Merkel
Sports and Entertainment Management: Isaac Robago
Organizational Leadership: Max Roberts
Southeast National FBLA Qualifiers
Business Management: Beau Cassell, Jack Cassell
Community Service Project: Beau Cassell, Jack Cassell
LifeSmarts: Beau Cassell, Jack Cassell
Project Management: Arto Driver
Management Information Systems: Annabelle Friendt
Network Design: Ryan Hazen
Human Resource Management: Jeffrey Ogbonnaya
Networking Infrastructures: Jack Paulson
Management Information Systems: Par Se
Introduction to Programming: Madeline Velez
Southwest National FBLA Qualifiers
Graphic Design: MacKenna Bell
Real Estate: Carter Brady
Journalism: Addi Psota
Entrepreneurship: Alex Shaeffer, Xavier Sorto
Virtual Business Competition: Alex Shaeffer, Xavier Sorto
Cybersecurity: Carter Stock
Introduction to Retail and Merchandising: Owen Wright
State Secretary: Harnoor Sidhu
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