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Albert Gallatin grad travels to Anaheim for national FBLA conference

By Les Harvath for The 4 min read
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Albert Gallatin graduate Jacob Chesslo poses with his mother, Laura, and his father, Bill, at the Future Business Leaders of America national conference in Anaheim, California. Chesslo qualified to attend the event after placing seventh in the Pennsylvania state conference in Hershey this past spring.

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Jacob Chesslo is pictured at the Future Business Leaders of America national conference in Anaheim, California, with Albert Gallatin FBLA advisor Karla Lent.

Submitted photo

Recent Albert Gallatin grad Jacob Chesslo recently capped a successful high school career with a week-long visit to Anaheim.

But instead of the usual attractions like Downtown Disney, Universal Studios and tours of Hollywood, the main allure for Chesslo was studying issues involving financial independence and negotiations.

Chesslo earned the June 27-July 3 trip, courtesy of the national Future Business Leaders of America program, by qualifying for the organization’s annual conference. In the 10 years that the FBLA program has existed at Albert Gallatin, created under the auspices of Albert Gallatin business technology teacher and FBLA adviser Karla Lent, Chesslo became the third Albert Gallatin student to qualify for the national conference.

A four-year FBLA participant who qualified for the state conference and competition each of those four years, Chesslo qualified for the national conference by placing first in the local and regional competition and and seventh in the Pennsylvania state conference in Hershey this past spring.

Even though Chesslo did not place at the national conference — his FBLA test involved organizational leadership — he studied theories about handling different problems and programs in the business world and deemed the conference a complete success.

Among several workshops in which he participated, one focused on financial independence, whereby “young people my age can learn financial independence through investments earlier in their lives, rather than just putting aside a few dollars a month,” he said; another dealt with negotiations, specifically the psychology of negotiations, and what goes into business negotiations from both sides.

Although Chesslo did not place at the conference, “he felt he did well on the test, even more confident than how he scored in the state competition,” Lent noted, adding, “At the national level the competition is very high.” Students from all 50 states, plus Puerto Rico and Haiti, participated in the national conference.

More than 500 students from Pennsylvania were involved in the competition, and Lent added that her husband, Frank, and Chesslo’s parents, Bill and Laura Chesslo, also traveled to Anaheim. “I am very fortunate to have such wonderful support from the administration and school board at Albert Gallatin,” Lent noted.

Regardless of winning at this (or any) FBLA level, Chesslo said “the experience of being involved and participating in the different FBLA conferences, especially at the national level, was the true benefit. This was the perfect mix of a learning experience along with the enjoyment of participating in the conference, meeting FBLA students from around the country and sharing ideas.”

Participating in Albert Gallatin’s FBLA program, Chesslo, a student in Lent’s college and career readiness class, was tasked with assisting younger students, guiding them through FBLA programs, and helping them decide on different programs, including competitions involving mock interviews or presentations, or learning how things work in the business world.

Aside from his FBLA achievements, Chesslo has left an impression at Albert Gallatin, one which will be recognized at every athletic event at the Albert Gallatin stadium, where his Eagle Scout finished project will be in full view.

An assistant scoutmaster with Troop 681 in Smithfield, he received his Eagle Scout award late last year based on his project of initiating a brick donor program for the stadium.

In the classroom, Chesslo’s involvement and accomplishments are just as noteworthy. He maintained a 4.5 (out of five) grade average and was ranked third (out of 275 students) in his Senior Class.

He was a two-year drumline section leader for the band, and was a member of the school’s chorus and drama programs, Young Astronauts, math team, Academic League, debate team and Hometown High-Q Team.

Including his Eagle Scout and other scouting projects, Chesslo managed to devote some 300 hours to community service programs, including assisting with hospice and home care programs, plus the FestiFall at Friendship Hill.

With a distinct interest in the sciences and the United States space program, Chesslo will enroll in the Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, Florida. Planning to enroll in a physics program, “but nothing definite yet,” he said, “they have a number of opportunities for internships and career possibilities, including at nearby Cape Canaveral.”

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