Maize High’s Business Professionals of America (BPA) team took some students to the BPA National Leadership Conference (NLC) in Anaheim, California. Students taken to nationals had qualified at state and regionals in top five or ten depending on the event they competed in. Out of the students that competed in the BPA NLC, two students placed top ten finalist in their event.

Abby McCoy placed top ten in both of her events, Digital Publishing and Advanced Interview Skills.

“I spent a lot of time prepping my resume, cover letter and digital portfolio for my interview,” McCoy said. “I was applying to be a graphic designer for the Professional Business Associates — the fake company BPA uses for their events. In digital publishing, I’m given 90 minutes to essentially brand a company. We are to make a logo, flyer, and another marketing material.”

Anna Reimer place as a top ten finalist in her event, Medical Office Procedures.

“I have taken anatomy, physiology, medical terminology and pharmacology classes, so I’ve learned a lot about the medical field,” Reimer said. “I also practiced the production part of the event by spending time learning from Mrs. Handy. The event included a test over medical terms and then required you to make 2 medical documents with the correct formatting.”

BPA is used to build leadership, academic and technical skills in the workplace among students and leaders within the community.

“It’s extremely empowering to be surrounded by individuals who have the same passion for creating a better future,” McCoy said. “BPA is about business, but it’s about so much more. I absolutely love that as young people we have the ability to practice real world leadership skills.”