Future business leaders take awards during region meet

Kathy Ockey

The Emery High School Future Business Leaders of America students walked away with a number of awards during the Eastern Region competition held at the College of Eastern Utah campus Jan. 30.

Shanae Butler, business teacher at Emery High School, said she was very pleased with the students that competed for the Emery High team. According to Butler the students are among the top academically in the school and they placed third as a team. She said that Emery has never placed as a team before and the students did an excellent job.

The FBLA is an educational program for high school students to help develop competent, aggressive business leadership. Through this program the students gain confidence in themselves and their work. It encourages the students to develop character, practice efficient money management and also encourages scholarship and promotes school loyalty. FBLA organizers affirm that the organization also provides a good background to help the students in their occupational goals and transition from school to work.

During the meet, all of the students helped prepare humanitarian bags to be sent to children in other parts of the world who do not have the educational opportunities experienced by students in the United States. Many country’s governments will not let children attend school without the items that are in these bags. They include: a notebook, ruler, box of colored pencils, sharpener, eraser, scissors and six regular pencils.

Emery students placing in events were: Colton Leavitt, 1st in Accounting 1; Carson Fillmore, 3rd in Banking and Financial Systems; Kirsa Merrell, 4th in Business Communication; Cade Whittle, 1st in Business Law; Misti Merrell, 2nd in Business Math; Colton Leavitt, 2nd in Cyber Security and 3rd in Computer Applications; Chelsea Smith, 3rd in FBLA Principles and Procedures; Lethi Guymon 3rd, Misti Merrell 4th, and Chelsea Smith 5th, in Introduction to Business; Nicole Smith, 1st in Future Business Leader; Amanda Ewell, 5th in Introduction to Technology Concepts; Colton Leavitt, 1st in Job Interview; Nicole Smith 2nd, Mckay Allred 3rd, and Kirsa Merrell 4th, in Management Decision Making; Amanda Ewell, 5th in Introduction to Technology Concepts; Rebecca Lofley, 5th in Networking Concepts; and Mindi Luke, 2nd in Word Processing 1. Emery High finished third overall with Uintah High School placing first and Duchesne High School coming in second.

Students vote school custodian as great example

Judi Bishop

The students at Cleveland Elementary were asked to vote for the adult at their school who they felt set a good example. When the votes were in Melanie Miera was the winner. She is head custodian at the school and is an excellent example for the students to look up to.

Miera began working at Cleveland Elementary three years ago in the custodial department and became head of the department this school year.

When asked why she applied for the job, she said, “I was bored and decided to take a long shot and got the job.”
She loves to have a clean and healthy environment for the students and is very picky about how clean it is.
“I do have two kids of my own that go to school here and so I know they are in a healthy environment,” she said.
She has added loving touches to the walls by displaying paintings by local artist, Bernice Payne and has done paintings herself in the boys and girls bathrooms encouraging good hygiene

This soft-spoken lady once worked in the prison system at the Draper facility in the property unit. She was given the nickname “The TV Lady,” by the inmates because she leased the TVs to them. They told her on more than one occasion that she was more important to them than the warden.

“We are very lucky to have her. Aside from her janitorial duties, the teachers can call on her to read with a student or help them in other ways,” said Mrs. Rasmussen.