Members of Business Professionals of America (BPA) attended the state Fall Leadership Conference (FLC) in Oak Brook, IL, last month to network with professionals and get club members excited for the year ahead, CTE Teacher and BPA Club Adviser Rosie McManamon said.
McManamon, BPA Illinois State Advisor, BPA Illinois Executive Director, and State Association Advisory Council (SAAC) Secretary, took roughly 30 BPA members to the conference. Among these students taken were juniors Irene Ahn and Mahi Chikani, BPA Co-President and BPA Illinois State President, respectively.
“Members get to pick what events they they wish to participate or compete in,” McManamon said.” “Some [competitions]are individual and [others are for] teams.”
Chikani and Ahn qualified for state in both their freshmen and sophomore years, competing in events such as economic research and entrepreneurship. They advanced to nationals during their sophomore season, Chikani said.
“We got to meet new people [through BPA], and [this conference] was a great opportunity to get [this year] off to a good start,” Chikani said.
During the conference, 12 business professionals answered questions posed by students about topics as mundane as their favorite color to as specific as their yearly salary, Chikani said. Afterwards, participants rotated every 10 minutes between tables to receive career advice and hear about each speaker’s industry experience.
“We got so much good feedback [on business-related topics] from [the] panelists and students,” Ahn said.
Workshops were intended to network students and build a fun environment, Chikani said. Ahn and Chikani, along with six additional state officers from other Illinois high school chapters, led activities such as a group creative Lego®-building challenge that led to a product pitch. Additionally, students were advised on appropriate fashion for business-related events, Ahn said.
“[It] was a fun experience to meet other competitors [and help] calm each other down,” Chikani said. “[Being] able to build a good community is good for our futures.”
BPA helps foster essential skills for any profession, Ahn said. Through presentations, exams, and speeches, competitors become better public speakers or test takers, which are beneficial skills for school and work related activities, Ahn said.
“[These skills are] a great way to get used to public speaking and practicing presentations,” Ahn said. “You can use any of your talents [for] a lot of competitions.”
After the FLC, BPA is ready to take on their next year of learning, rigorous competitions, and winning, Ahn said.
“I know [the upcoming year] might be hard because there’s a lot more challenges [for BPA], but I am really excited to see how this year will unveil itself,” Ahn said.
