A group of 65 business people from the Prince William County-Greater Manassas Chamber of Commerce recently spent two-days at Osbourn Park High School, Manassas, helping the school's Future Business Leaders of America become better qualified when seeking a job.
The chamber members came to the school to teach and give tips on the vital skill of communicating with potential employers to 900 of the school's business students in the "Speed Networking" event.
One of the business people was Marya Wysocki, campus and community relations specialist for Northern Virginia Community College and a member of the Chamber's Young Professionals of Northern Virginia group.
"The students of today are very career-minded and focused. They understand that what they take from their education today will increase their knowledge and opportunities in the future," said Wysocki.
This was the fourth event to be conducted in area schools and this is the second consecutive year it has been organized by the Osbourn Park FBLA. The first took place four years ago at Osbourn High School in Manassas and the second was conducted at Stonewall Jackson High School in Manassas and earned the chamber a "Creating Excellence Award" from the Virginia Department of Education's Office of Career and Technical Education Services.
The FBLA club began planning the event last fall. The students in the club, with guidance from faculty advisor Kathleen Riddle, did the work of planning and organizing the event. The club's top officers, Mark Murgia or Chris Allen attended chamber meetings and events, such as the Business After Hours and the annual Silent Auction Luncheon to recruit business participation.
Not only did the club line up event sponsor TD Bank, beverage sponsors L & L Delivery Inc. and Pepsi Cola Bottling Co. of Central Virginia and donation and discounts for lunch for the business volunteers from Chick-fil-A Signal Hill and Harris Teeter, they also coordinated event-day details like posting signs in the school, proving parking and escorts and checking in new arrivals.
Event sponsor Brendan Baldwin, assistant vice president of TD Bank in Manassas, said, "We truly feel that being involved in the community is the most important aspect of what we do every day. The event allows us to get in front of the many future account holders, as well as future bankers. We hope to sponsor this event for years to come."
Staff writer Bennie Scarton Jr. can be reached at 703-369-6707.
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