Southeast High School 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.
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.”
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
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