At only seventeen years old, senior Sarah Miller, a well faceted student here, has taken leadership as state officer over the whole Area 8 and president of our local chapter. Area 8 entails half of Houston including CFISD, HISD, Aldine ISD, and more. 

Originally born in Melbourne, Australia; Miller came to the United States and in only 5 years has settled right in. 

She didn’t just get to her position by luck, she ran, campaigned, and won the support of her peers. 

“Campaigning, that was fun,” Miller said. ”I had to make a Tri-fold and my motto was ‘put your best foot forward’ and it’s one of the most important things that I think students nowadays need to learn.”

Involvement in Future Business Leaders of America- a national organization and business competition club- has given Miller an opportunity to catch a glimpse of brightness not exposed everyday. 

“The world is such a diverse and amazing place and being a part of FBLA you get to see the brilliant kids of the future,” Miller said. “As a state officer, we’ve looked at different kids’ projects on the way to nationals and it’s amazing to see what kids can do. It’s very inspiring to see the future.” 

One of Sarah’s roles as state officer is to organize an area workshop. She completed a range of tasks like arranging guest speakers and marketing to produce a beautifully run workshop with over 800 students in attendance. The students had opportunities to participate in a variety of activities to improve their skill in FBLA. 

Throughout high school, students experiment with a variety of different groups and clubs and some are fortunate enough to find one they feel they belong to. 

“I want to keep pushing people to find their niche,” Miller said. “FBLA is definitely where I found kind of a home where I can grow and I really want everyone else to be able to find that place for them.”

Advisor of the local FBLA chapter Karen Means, who has been a teacher at this school for 8 years, has taught hundreds of students, one of them being Sarah. 

“I’m usually on top of things but she keeps me on point,” Means said. “She manages things, she’s proactive, and really gets things done.”

Similarly, her peers share the same sentiment. Junior Gordon Taft works closely with Miller and admires her hard work. He is also looking forward to being in her position the following year. 

“Sarah’s work ethic is unrivaled,” Taft said. “She’s always there, she’s always gonna show up early and on time. She’s always gonna have her stuff together and be willing to put in the effort that needs to be put forth to succeed.”

Sarah portrays the qualities of a true powerhouse. 

“She manages things, she’s proactive, and really gets things done,” Means said. “She’s an awesome go-getter. I’ve been an advisor for 7 years and I’ve had some amazing leaders but by far she surpasses what I’ve seen.” 

From her time in FBLA she has been able to grow and learn things about herself. 

“FBLA has given me so much confidence,” Miller said. “When I joined my Sophomore year there’s no way I thought I would be running for a state position because that involved campaigning and making a speech in front of a thousand kids and everything. I love just working with people and that’s something I didn’t realize at first.” 

Reflecting back on this experience Miller finds words of wisdom for future generations. 

“Be prepared for who you are and what you’re gonna do,” Miller said. “Walk in putting your best foot forward representing the best version of yourself.”