By C. Roman
Federal Hocking’s Local Business Professionals of America (BPA) chapter went to the region final competition this week.
Business Professionals of America (BPA) is a nationwide CTSO (career and technical student organization) that focuses on “Giving Purpose To Potential”. As their tagline suggests, BPA was founded on the principle of providing learners with an outlet and recognition for ingenuity and technological prowess. The organization does this by offering contests at the regional, state, and national levels that allow secondary and post-secondary students to test their skills in finance, business administration, management information systems, digital communications & design, marketing & communication, and health administration. These contests are the perfect way for students considering careers in business and technology to practice before entering the workforce.
The Federal Hocking Local BPA Chapter includes Alexander Jenkins, a junior, who has been a member for one year; Ceil Thompson, a junior, who has been a member for three years; and Cora Roman, a senior, who has been a member for four years.
Preliminary submissions for regionals were accepted on Wednesday, December 8th. This past Monday, Ceil and Cora learned that they had been among the top three of their respective competitions, and would progress to region finals on Wednesday, December 15th.
Ceil is competing in Computer Modeling this year. For this judged contest, each participant receives a topic which they must research, plan, and create a 3D model/scene based on. Ceil feels that her competition “went pretty well” and that “…the judges’ questions were good.” One thing she thinks she did well was the presentation, “I didn’t need to use notecards. Everything I said was less scripted, so it sounded more natural.” Ceil feels she could have managed her time better and had more time to work on the project. A piece of advice she would give a new member is, “Pick a project that really interests you, because you’re going to spend a lot of time doing it.” According to Ceil, “BPA has taught me two things: computer modeling and presentation skills.” These are really useful talents that will benefit Ceil in her career.
Cora is competing in Extemporaneous Speech this year. For this contest, each student receives two prompts to choose from. Then, he or she is given ten minutes and three note cards to prepare a speech. The speech must be between 2-4 minutes in length and delivered spontaneously in front of the judges. Cora feels she did “very well” in her competition, and reports having received high praise from the judges. She thinks she managed her time well and gave a compelling speech within the time limit. One aspect in which Cora feels she could have improved is eye contact, “It takes practice to maintain direct eye contact. Whenever I’m thinking, I have a tendency to glance away.” For any new members or first time competitors, Cora would like to emphasize the importance of being memorable, “When I went to competition, I found it remarkable that the judges remembered me from previous years. If anything, be memorable to the judges and try to enjoy what you are doing.” No matter what the results are, Cora says she “…enjoys the overall experience of competing and connecting with her fellow BPA members.”
Alex Jenkins is competing in Java Programming this year. This contest challenges a student’s knowledge of a particular programming language by asking them to complete an advanced task. The test is administered online and does not require the competitor to appear at region finals in person. Alex expresses that he was “…confused about the prompt…” and “…should have practiced more Java before I started.” This event was a big undertaking, as programming skill tests are notoriously difficult. Although Alex thinks he didn’t do well in his contest, he has some excellent advice for prospective competitors, “Try and complete some of the previous tests for past competitions…[or] just take a look at them.” Studying and advanced preparation is extremely helpful for learning what to expect in knowledge/task based competitions. Overall, Alexs thinks the experience BPA provides is “good” and likes the cool BPA themed t-shirts available for members.
The placements for region finals will be announced at the Region 2 Awards Ceremony on January 13th, 2022. Please wish our members good luck in their competitions!
If you are interested in joining or learning about Business Professionals of America, please visit bpa.org or email our local chapter advisor, Mrs. Coble, [email protected].
