Students Excel at Business Professionals of America National Leadership Conference
On Tuesday, June 15, seven Business Professionals of America students and their advisor traveled to Dallas, Texas for the 2009 National Leadership Conference.
Originally scheduled in May, the conference date was moved due to the H1N1 flu outbreak. The Kirkwood students willingly and enthusiastically gave up part of their summer vacation to attend the conference.
Students attending from the Kirkwood Cedar Rapids chapter were Gen Cigrand (Monticello High School), Brittney Dirks (Ottawa Township High School, Missouri), Ashley Erboe (West Branch High School), Mindy Nachtman (West Delaware High School), Samantha Phelps (Winfield Mt. Union High School), Amanda Rottman (North Cedar High School), and their chapter advisor Kimberly Schultz (Lisbon).
The students joined over 3,000 other conference delegates from across the nation to participate in national level business skills competitions, workshops, general sessions, and the national officer candidate campaigns and elections.
In addition to conference activities, the Kirkwood students visited Dallas points of interest, including the Dallas Zoo and the Sixth Floor Museum/JFK Museum.
Recently graduated students, Mindy Nachtman and Samantha Phelps (Administrative Assistant program), led the way. Nachtman earned 8th place in both the Advanced Office Systems & Procedures and Integrated Office Applications contests. Nachtman was also elected 2009-2010 BPA national secretary/treasurer.
“Mindy makes the fifth national officer that our chapter has had in the past ten years,” stated advisor Kimberly Schultz. “Our students really enjoy being involved and serving in leadership positions. Kirkwood does an excellent job in supporting them in these endeavors.”
Samantha Phelps placed in the top ten in three contests. Phelps carried home the second place plaque in Desktop Publishing. She also earned medallions for finishing 4th in the Integrated Office Applications contest and 5th in the Management/Marketing/Human Resources Concepts—Open event contest.
“Because anyone at the contest is allowed to compete in the open concepts, these contests are highly competitive,” Schultz added. “Sam was competing against not only community college students but four-year college students as well, which makes her placing in the event even more amazing.”
Besides competing, Phelps also kept busy by serving as Nachtman’s campaign manager. Both Phelps and Nachtman received their Ambassador Torch Award pins and certificates at a special ceremony. The Ambassador award is the highest honor given to BPA student members.
Other Kirkwood student competitors placing in the top ten and receiving medals were:
6th Ashley Erboe Desktop Publishing
9th Brittney Dirks Advanced Word Processing Skills
All the Kirkwood competitors finished in the top twenty for their other respective events. They included:
13th Amanda Rottman Advanced Word Processing Skills
16th Amanda Rottman Banking & Finance
16th Ashley Erboe Integrated Office Applications
17th Gen Cigrand Desktop Publishing
19th Gen Cigrand Basic Office Systems & Procedures
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Business Professionals of America is a national organization for high school, college, and middle school students preparing for careers in business and information technology. The organization’s activities and programs complement classroom instruction by giving students practical experience through application of the skills learned at school. Business Professionals of America acts as a cohesive agent in the nationwide networking of education and business and industry. BPA is contributing to the preparation of a world-class workforce through the advancement of leadership, citizenship, academic, and technological skills.
Business Professionals of America is assisted in this endeavor with financial support from corporations and companies including Shell and South-Western/Cengage, who sponsor BPA’s National Leadership Conference and member career-building programs and scholarships.