Union County Students Claim Top Spots at Blue Mountain FBLA Conference

Students from Union County schools posted a string of top finishes at the Blue Mountain Oregon FBLA Regional Skills Conference, strengthening local programs and qualifying competitors for the State Business Leadership Conference in April. The regional meet, held at Eastern Oregon University, covered events from accounting and agribusiness to sports and entertainment management.

The conference was scheduled by Oregon FBLA for January 29, 2026, at Eastern Oregon University in La Grande. Organizers process registrations through the Blue Panda platform; advisers may register at no charge and can seek help at hello@oregonfbla.org. State-level registration for the SBLC carries a February 18 deadline.

Local students who placed in the top three include several Union County names. La Grande High School students topped the Business Communication category with Emersyn Miller taking first place and Dora Koltuv placing third; La Grande also placed a team in Banking and Financial Systems with Ephraim Moyal and Larsen Wright earning second. Helix High School students also reached the podium - Kayleigh Coiner placed second in Advanced Accounting and Kate Hill placed second in Agribusiness. Imbler High School’s Benjamin Herron finished second in Advertising, and Cove High School’s Charlie Fairless took third in Advertising.

Across the region, winners included Giselle Parra Ibarra of McLoughlin High School in Accounting and Alexah Moreno of Hermiston Senior High School in Advanced Accounting. Team entries included Grant Union High School’s Kaleb Gosnell, Taylor Gosnell and Jhett Williams, who placed first in Sports & Entertainment Management. Several categories published only partial placement lists in the initial regional results release; event organizers maintain an official results roster for complete standings and SBLC qualifiers.

Helix School District reported a strong showing for its students and noted the outcomes will move competitors to the state level. "Each student that competed placed in at least one event, and qualified for the State Business Leadership Conference in April," the district posted, highlighting both individual and team successes and thanking the local FBLA adviser, identified as Mr. Kubishta, for organizing student participation.

The regional results matter for Union County beyond trophies. Top finishes translate into SBLC qualification, expanded college and career resume entries for students, and visibility for school CTE and business pathways. They also feed local employer pipelines by signaling student proficiency in finance, data science, sales, and management skills.

Schools and families preparing for the state conference should confirm entries and deadlines with their FBLA advisers. Organizers and advisers will now turn focus to SBLC preparation in April, where regional qualifiers will compete for state honors and potential national qualification.