Long after Kayla Hester’s history lessons end for the day, her work as a Future Business Leaders of America advisor is just beginning. Since joining MSMS in 2015, she has balanced her time between the classroom and advising the school’s FBLA chapter, guiding students through both academics and competition. On March 20th, 27 members placed in competition at the state level and 26 of them qualified for the national competition.
“FBLA allows them to explore a facet of business that interests them and showcase it through the competitions,” Hester said. “I have seen students gain confidence and challenge themselves through FBLA competitions. I really enjoy seeing students step into leadership roles.”
“As long as there is still student interest, I will keep serving as the club sponsor,” she added.
Hester’s path to teaching began in 2009 while she was a graduate student at Mississippi State University, where she taught freshmen-level history classes. That early experience shaped her approach to teaching when she arrived at MSMS years later. When Hester joined MSMS, she was asked to teach both history and economics, which is the opportunity that led her to FBLA.
“It was a sharp learning curve since I had never been involved with FBLA before,” Hester said.
What began as a challenge quickly turned into growth.
“We had a small group of students who really wanted to grow the club and start going to competitions, so it just took off from there,” Hester said.
Today, the program has reached a new milestone, with 44 registered members at the start of this school year and participation across nearly every competition category.
MSMS Executive Director Ginger Tedder said Hester is consistent in supporting both students and staff.
“She is someone you can always count on to follow through and make sure things are done well. Whether it’s helping a student prepare or assisting a teacher, she approaches everything with care and attention to detail,’ Tedder said.
Along with meetings and preparation, much of her work — including hitting registration deadlines, collecting fees, organizing travel forms and maintaining communication with students — happens behind the scenes. Despite the demands, Hester remains committed because of her students. Their enthusiasm, she said, is what keeps the program going year after year.
Junior Makayla Wrenn said Hester is very hands on and values the student’s joy.
“She’s very compassionate [Hester] to the members of FBLA. I constantly see her working with people to make sure they can be their best at FBLA,” Wrenn said. “My favorite part of the competition was going out to Mugshots with my friends. We all had milkshakes and the entire table was full of joy and laughter.”
She said she enjoys seeing the students become leaders.
“I really enjoy seeing students step into leadership roles,” Hester said, noting officers take initiative in organizing meetings, preparing competitors and recruiting members.
Through FBLA, Hester ensures students gain more than competition experience.
