When he learned he came in second in the nationwide Future
Business Leaders of America competition for job interview skills in
Chicago recently, Andrew Wisneski was somewhat stunned, but those
who know him say it’s no surprise
Morgan Hill – When he learned he came in second in the nationwide Future Business Leaders of America competition for job interview skills in Chicago recently, Andrew Wisneski was somewhat stunned, but those who know him say it’s no surprise.
The 18-year-old Morgan Hill resident has participated in a variety of FBLA activities during his years at Live Oak High School, but this was, by far, the most exciting for him.
“I was lucky because I came in fourth in the state competition, but the first- and second-place students couldn’t go (to the national competition),” he said.
Sixty students competed in the preliminary round in Chicago, Wisneski said, and the field narrowed to the top 15.
“I was really nervous, and I was really happy when I learned I made it past the first round,” he said.
The Live Oak 2007 valedictorian spent a lot of time training for the event, a contest where students are asked questions as if they are interviewing for a job, but said the judges for the final round were hard to read.
His preparation, with FBLA adviser Kiki Nakauchi and with Morgan Hill Unified School District Assistant Superintendent Jay Totter, must have served him well.
“He already had a good base knowledge and a good demeanor about him,” said Totter, who heads the Morgan Hill school district’s human resources department. He’s a very bright young man. I just respect this student so much, he has phenomenal skills.”
Wisneski, who also attended Martin Murphy Middle School and Nordstrom Elementary School, said he had a good experience with teachers and mentors in the district.
Two teachers come immediately to mind, he said, when he thinks of those who have made a difference in his educational career.
“Aaron Spain, he provided a truly intellectual experience in the classroom,” he said. “He was very professional and scholarly, and I respected him for that. And Mr. Glen Webb, he made physics really exciting and interesting. He is truly a dedicated teacher.”
Wisneski, who will attend Johns Hopkins University in the fall, said he will study to become a cardiothoracic surgeon. In his third year of volunteering at San Francisco’s Veterans Affairs Medical Center, he is spending his summer in the center’s cellular research lab.
When he’s not volunteering, Wisneski likes to play badminton and hang out with his friends.
