Eight top students from Lake Superior College attended the Business Professionals of America (BPA) 2017 National Leadership Conference, “Spread Your Wings” in Orlando from May 9 to May 14. They joined more than 7,000 conference delegates from across the nation and competed in national level business skills competitions, workshops, general sessions, and national officer candidate campaigns and elections. LSC students made it on stage at the BPA Awards Ceremony 15 times.
“Student members of Lake Superior College’s BPA Chapter competing and doing well on a national level is the culmination of a year’s worth of business skills education, training and hard work,” said chapter advisor and instructor Barb Struck.
LSC students received the following awards:
- Indicates qualification for National Competition
Finalist = placed 4th through 10th
Banking & Finance
Garrett Menze – finalist
Fundamental Word Processing Skills
Garrett Menze ? finalist
Advanced Word Processing
- Kristi Gunderson – 2nd
Database Applications
- Matt Bethke – 3rd
Zach Zosel – finalist
Medical Office Procedures
- Boston Foster – 2nd
Kristi Gunderson – finalist
ICD-10-CM Diagnostic Coding
- Boston Foster – 1st
Administrative Support Team – finalist
Team consisted of:
Kristi Gunderson
Boston Foster
Amanda Sundin
Administrative Support Concepts
Garrett Menze – finalist
SQL Database Concepts
- Doug Sundin – 1st
Fundamentals of Web Design
Matt Bethke – finalist
Business Meeting Management
Garrett Menze – finalist
Management/Marketing/Human Resources
Garrett Menze – 2nd
Parliamentary Procedure Concepts
Garrett Menze – finalist
Kristi Gunderson – finalist
Struck noted that along with the earned awards, Garrett Bock was elected Vice President of the National BPA organization. “That is a huge honor and we are proud to have LSC represented on this prestigious board,” said Struck. “Congratulations, Garrett! You will serve us well.”
The LSC BPA students who attended the 2017 state conference did so with financial assistance from Lake Superior College’s Academics Division and Student Life. Struck said that the LSC BPA chapter greatly values and appreciates the support it receives from the college.
Business Professionals of America is a national organization for college, high school, 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 world-class workforce through the advancement of leadership, citizenship, academic, and technological skills.
