Twenty-Four Business Professionals of America went and competed at the BPA State Leadership Conference March 9-12, 2023. Five of these twenty-four students qualified for the National Leadership Conference Competition to be held in Anahiem, California April 26-30, 2023. 

The students competed in many different events and had lots of top-seven finishes to round out the conference. Placing in the top seven were: freshman Gracie Lombard 5th in Administrative Assistant Research Project, Juniors Ava Frost, 7th Advanced Interview Skills, Lexie Thayer, 7th Human Resource Management, Curtis Brashaw, 1st Human Resource Management, Senior Marlena Pestrue, 3rd Administrative Assistant Research Project, and teams of, Jaiden Dickman, Lucee Mikek, and Dom Girard, 3rd Presentation Team, and Jenna Abell, Marlena Pestrue, Payton Kuhn, 4th in Small Business Management Team.

Tyson Head said, “It was really fun to prank Jenna and Laney. The food was good, but not many places had chicken tenders. For my event, I had to take a bus to Davenport and I forgot to bring a pencil so I couldn’t complete the written part of my event. However, I had fun at the dance and overall I am glad I joined BPA and made it that far! YIPPEE!”  

 Curtis Brashaw, State Executive Vice President of Communications for the Michigan Association of Business Professionals of America Elect, went through a very strenuous process to get elected. He had to participate in BPA tests, interviews, speeches, and a campaign rally. He said, “Going into state, I was incredibly nervous to compete and run for state office. Giving my speech in front of the entire 3,000 members of Michigan BPA was the most nerve-racking, but also most fulfilling moment of my entire life. Once I was finally elected, I was incredibly excited. I look forward to serving Michigan BPA this upcoming year.” 

Brashaw, Pestrue, Girard, Mikek, and Dickman will all be competing at the National Leadership Conference, April, 26- 30, 2023.