Narek Avetisyan is a senior at Glendale High School and he is also the president of the Economics Club and the Future Business Leaders of America Club at GHS. Narek founded both clubs during the 2020 school year, and they are still being continued this year.
Narek is also a captain of the GHS varsity swim team, and he is a published author of a textbook on Economics. He came to the United States four years ago from Yerevan, Armenia. He has always liked math and has always been interested in social studies, so he combined these two interests into the Economics Club. He also channeled his love of business into the FBLA Club.
Narek began planning both clubs to educate our students about economics and business, and to provide extra opportunities for the members who join. In his opinion, as GHS students are back to in-person learning, both clubs will be able to do a lot more.
Whenever the club meetings were held on Zoom, some members just ignored the questions and did not give proper responses. It is understandable that students had a hard time participating, because the coronavirus impacted our lives a lot.
Some new activities have been presented during this new school year, including last year’s free economics tutoring program for students who need it. “Last year it was Ms. Kurtz,” Narek said, “and this year we have Dr. Anderle, and there is a chance that Mr. Martinez will join us, too.” Mr. Martinez and Dr. Anderle are both currently teaching social studies classes at GHS.
Narek wants to make his clubs more personal, so that students will not think of it as something that they are forced to do. It’s more about students joining these clubs, learning about these fields and their opportunities, and being more involved. The club was created for students who are interested in business and economics, to be able to learn about every single detail, and to think about their future paths. Our school now also has a business class at GHS, which was initially the idea of the FBLA Club members, and now there are one hundred and fifty students working hard to improve their skills in business.
Some FBLA Club members will need to pay an $11 fee, of which $5 goes to the National Office and the $6 goes to the State Office. Still, even without the fees, all students may join the club and still receive the same information. The dues are only for FBLA organized events and conferences, which will happen in the spring. “The events are happening on a state level and if it is successful, we’ll move to a national level,” Narek said.
FBLA Club members may also have internship opportunities in business and also invest in competitions. Narek believes that if you have an interest in business, you should definitely join the club, and it’s always good to involve yourself in something that you may positively impact your life in the years to come.
If you are interested in joining the GHS Economics Club, please contact Mr. O’Malley at [email protected], and if you want to become a member of the FBLA Club, please email Ms. Taylor at [email protected].
