CLARKESVILLE, Ga. — Students from North Georgia Technical College’s Future Business Leaders of America chapter brought home national recognition from the 2026 FBLA National Leadership Conference in Las Vegas, earning top chapter awards and individual honors.
The NGTC chapter received the National Hollis and Kitty Guy Gold Seal Chapter Award of Merit and the Outstanding Chapter Award, two of the organization’s highest recognitions for chapter achievement, leadership and service.
Among the individual award winners, Kya Smith of Hiawassee placed sixth nationally in the Foundations of Digital Design competition. Kiley Snelgrove of Lavonia earned a bronze-level FBLA Collegiate Award of Excellence after accumulating 155 points through participation in leadership and professional development activities.
NGTC Business Management Instructor Mona Williams was recognized as Georgia FBLA Collegiate Adviser of the Year and Georgia FBLA Collegiate Executive Director. The Georgia FBLA Collegiate chapter also received recognition for its donations to the Alzheimer’s Association.
The national conference followed a successful showing for NGTC students at the 2026 FBLA Collegiate State Leadership Conference in Atlanta, where the chapter earned 27 individual, team and chapter awards. All nine NGTC competitors placed in their events, and eight qualified for national competition.
At the state conference, first-place finishes went to Smith in Customer Service and Foundations of Digital Design; Seth Hurley of Young Harris in Foundations of Finance; and Daisy Paramo of Alto in Foundations of Accounting.
Second-place honors were awarded to Snelgrove in Business Communications; Hurley in Foundations of Economics; Brianna Contreras of Cornelia in Foundations of Selling; Zoe Fitzgerald of Blairsville in Organizational Behavior and Leadership; and Michael Ramirez of Alto in International Business.
Third-place finishers included Snelgrove in Computer Applications and Grace Swafford of Toccoa in Future Business Executive.
Additional top-five placements included Fitzgerald in Parliamentary Procedure; Ramirez in Retail Management; Paramo, Smith and Snelgrove in the State of the Chapter Presentation; Swafford in Entrepreneurship Pitch; Swafford and Contreras in Community Service Project; Paramo in Foundations of Economics; and Lucia Trujillo-Limas of Commerce in Business Presentations.
The chapter also earned the Platinum Chapter Award of Merit and a first-place award for Alzheimer’s fundraising efforts. Snelgrove received the Who’s Who in Georgia FBLA Collegiate Award, while Contreras, Hurley, Smith, Swafford and Snelgrove earned Wings of Excellence Awards. Swafford was elected to serve as a Georgia FBLA Collegiate state officer.
NGTC President John Wilkinson praised the students and advisers for their accomplishments.
“North Georgia Technical College would like to congratulate our FBLA students and advisers on their tremendous success during the 2026 FBLA National Leadership Conference,” Wilkinson said. “NGTC’s FBLA Chapter is dedicated to achieving excellence while promoting leadership, teamwork and professionalism. We are proud to have such outstanding individuals representing our college and community.”
Williams said she and fellow adviser Angela Banks take pride in watching students develop their skills and work together.
“While each of these students excel in different areas, it is tremendous to witness them applying their skillsets and working together as a team,” Williams said. “We look forward to witnessing their continued success.”
FBLA is the world’s largest business career and technical student organization, serving more than 230,000 members. NGTC’s FBLA chapter is advised by Williams and Banks, a Business Technology instructor at the college.
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