Jagodzinski is moving on to UW-Madison
By Jennifer Eisenbart
Staff Writer
For Sam Jagodzinski, the world of business is also a world of possibilities.
“I just think that it’s interesting,” said Jagodzinski. “There are just so many strategies.”
It’s no wonder, then, that Jagodzinski has made a name for himself through Future Business Leaders of America. After competing in FBLA competitions as a Burlington High School freshman and sophomore and not even making it to state, Jagodzinski can now lay claim to a pair of national titles.
As a junior, Jagodzinski won the sports management contest at the FBLA national conference, and a month ago, he claimed the top spot in business procedures at the same event in San Antonio, Texas.
Ironically, Jagodzinski wasn’t present for either award, as the BHS delegation left before the awards dinner. This year, he was sitting on the tarmac in his plane to Wisconsin, checking Twitter for updates as the flight was delayed.
“It’s pretty amazing,” said BHS FBLA advisor Michelle Peets. “He did it in two different categories two years in a row.”
Jagodzinski wasn’t the only BHS competitor at the national conference. Zach Martin, Chase Robers and Matt Gilanyi competed in marketing, but were eliminated after the testing portion.
The competition at nationals falls into two categories. Some categories are strictly testing, while others involve both a testing and presentation stage.
In Jagodzinski’s case, he chose the testing route. He prefers that format.
“It’s more laid back,” he said. “It’s more informal.”
Both years Jagodzinski won, he had an hour to complete the multiple-choice test, and his score was then ranked among the more than 100 competitors in the category.
He won $750 his junior year, and $1,000 this year from the sponsors of each category. That money is going to his college education – which, not surprisingly, includes an international business major at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
While Jagodzinski is leaving, Peets is optimistic about the future of FBLA at Burlington. The last two years were the first two BHS qualified students for nationals, and the program only continues to grow.
“We’re on a roll now,” she said.
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