District HomeEnrollJump/KeywordCareers

Southwest High School

District HomeEnrollJump/KeywordCareers

Southwest High School

Eight Southwest High School students stand together in two rows. There are three girls and five boys in the photo. They are taking part in an artistic activity in a room that has several paintings on the back wall.

Silver Hawks shine in national FBLA contests

Lincoln Public Schools

August 5, 2026

Southwest 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.

Eight Silver Hawks enjoyed their experiences at nationals. MacKenna Bell, Carter Brady, Addi Psota, Alex Shaeffer, Harnoor Sidhu, Xavier Sorto, Carter Stock and Owen Wright participated in multiple contests, breakout sessions and educational events.

Southwest business teacher Josh Hinrichs said he was happy to watch students make lifelong memories. Hinrichs advises Southwest’s FBLA chapter and coordinated the trip with other members of the Lincoln delegation.

“In addition to being able to compete against the best business students from across the nation, NLC also provides a great opportunity for students to network with over 15,000 people through various workshops and other social opportunities,” Hinrichs said.

The conference concluded a successful year for Southwest’s chapter. Bell earned a state championship in the Graphic Design category, and Schaeffer captured five state awards. He finished second (Advertising), third (Insurance and Risk Management), fifth (Personal Finance) and sixth (Economics) in solo categories. He and Sorto teamed up to win a silver medal in the Entrepreneurship event.

Southwest National FBLA Qualifiers

Graphic Design: MacKenna Bell

Real Estate: Carter Brady

Journalism: Addi Psota

Entrepreneurship: Alex Shaeffer, Xavier Sorto

Virtual Business Competition: Alex Shaeffer, Xavier Sorto

Cybersecurity: Carter Stock

Introduction to Retail and Merchandising: Owen Wright

State Secretary: Harnoor Sidhu

Discover how career and technical student organizations like FBLA benefit hundreds of LPS students.

Do you have a story idea? Share it with the LPS Communications Team by filling out this form!

Seven Southwest High School students are sitting together in chairs at the FBLA National Leadership Conference. They are wearing formal clothes and are holding glow-sticks for an activity. There are five boys and two girls in the photo.Eight Southwest High School students are standing around a table that has a multi-colored pattern on it during an art activity at the FBLA National Leadership Conference. There are three girls and five boys in the photo who are holding paintbrushes and plastic trays with paint.Eight Southwest High School students sit at a rectangular table with Josh Hinrichs, who is the Southwest FBLA advisor. They are at a hamburger restaurant and have soft drinks in plastic cups sitting on the table in front of them. There are three boys and five girls in the photo.Eight Southwest High School students sit at a rectangular table with Josh Hinrichs, who is the Southwest FBLA advisor. They are at a hamburger restaurant and have soft drinks in plastic cups sitting on the table in front of them. There are three boys and five girls in the photo.