Four BPA members to attend National Competition
Each year members of the St. Johns High School Business Professionals of America (BPA) chapter work hard to prepare for competition. BPA provides students with the opportunity to prepare for a career in the workplace of the future. Members each choose from more than 50 options, including accounting, public speaking, economic research, presentation management, and more.
On January 7, 28 members traveled to Baker College of Owosso for the first round of competition (Region 9 Leadership Conference). Of that number, 11 qualified to continue on to the State Leadership Conference in Grand Rapids March 25-27: Shawn Arambula (3rd place, VB.Net Programming), Aaron Bodus (1st place, Management, Marketing, and Human Relations), Ira Carbone (2nd place, Computer Security and 4th place, PC Servicing and Troubleshooting), Will Freund (1st place, Computerized Accounting), Jared Hyde (2nd place, VB.Net Programming), Cale Hyzer (4th place, Advanced Spreadsheet), Mackenzie Irrer (4th Place, Entrepreneurship), Ted Motz (5th place, Fundamental Accounting), Anthony Peele, 1st place, Banking & Finance, Alex Seaver (6th place, Human Resource Management), Whitley Shaver (2nd place, Fundamental Accounting and 2nd place, Desktop Publishing), Ana Witteveen (3rd place, Economic Research Project-Individual) and Phil Witteveen, (1st place, Business Spelling) plus the 2nd place finish of the Economic Research Project Team of Bodus, Hyzer, and P. Witteveen.
Front row, left to right: Ana Witteveen, Mackenzie Irrer, Whitley Shaver; back row, Anthony Peele, Ted Motz, Shawn Arambula, Nick Kurncz, Ira Carbone.
The next step was the State Leadership Conference, held at the Amway Grand Plaza in Grand Rapids. There the 11 students who qualified at regional competition competed against their counterparts from across the state. Students attended seminars on such topics as social networking and business, formal opening and business meetings, and listened to speeches by candidates for state office.
Voting delegates Bodus and Nick Kurncz served as voting delegates. At the awards program on March 27, four SJHS students qualified to compete in three different events at the national level: Cale Hyzer, Advanced Spreadsheet Applications; Mackenzie Irrer, Entrepreneurship; and Aaron Bodus, Cale Hyzer, and Phillip Witteveen, Economic Research Project Team.
Alex Seaver, Cale Hyzer; back row, Phillip Witteveen, Aaron Bodus
These four students (Bodus, Hyzer, Irrer, and Witteveen) are currently preparing to again represent St. Johns High School and the St. Johns community by competing at the national level in May. The National Leadership Conference is being held in Washington, DC. Fundraisers include a sub sale (8 inch subs, over 16 oz., similar to Eagle Village sub sales). Subs are $6 each or 5 for $25.
Anyone wishing to help with fundraising can contact Dee Thelen at 989 227-4276 or thelend@sjredwings.org, or send donation(s) (checks payable to St. Johns Public Schools) to Attn.: BPA, St. Johns High School. 501 W. Sickels St., St. Johns 48879.