Business Education teacher and Northwood FBLA Adviser Jane Pendergrast won N.C. FBLA Adviser of the Year at the 61st Annual North Carolina Future Business Leaders of America State Conference Apr. 13-15.
This award is presented to one FBLA Adviser in the state who has shown their “deep commitment to FBLA.” Some other qualities the FBLA Adviser of the Year is expected to have are “businesslike methods in coordinating the work of FBLA” and “sound planning and evaluation of local chapter activities.” Pendergrast won her award based on her exhibition of all these qualities showcased in a portfolio.
“It was exciting,” Pendergrast said. “I had to create a portfolio to send in. [The portfolio] showed all the qualifications that [advisers] had to have. They rate you on a scale and the one that has the top number of points is the one that gets Adviser of the Year.”
Pendergrast won the award over many other FBLA Advisers in the state. There are over 400 advisers in North Carolina alone, although there is no telling how many other advisers were nominated for the award.
An anonymous individual who is involved with FBLA at Northwood nominated Pendergrast for the award late last year.
Pendergrast has been an FBLA Adviser at Northwood for 18 years and she serves on the N.C. FBLA board. However, she did not expect to win the award.
“I was really shocked when they called my name,” Pendergrast said.
– By Sawyer Davis