Staff writer
Peabody-Burns High School’s chapter of Business Professionals of America had 12 members qualify to compete May 5 through 9 at BPA National Leadership Conference in Anaheim, Calif.
Students competed against opponents from larger schools at the state convention in February in Wichita. Despite being the smallest school in Kansas with a BPA chapter, PBHS had one of the largest delegations at the convention, sponsor Patty Savage said.
Sponsors from some of the large schools were amazed at the number of participants Peabody-Burns had, she said. But participating in many sports and activities is normal for PBHS students, Savage said. The chapter has 30 members, and 28 competed at state.
“We have different events and competitions,” state Secretary Embry Hodges, a Peabody-Burns junior, said. “They’re all business related.”
Competitions include written exams testing students’ business knowledge, practical skills tests, and public speaking and presenting.
“I can already tell it will help when I’m in college and get a career,” Hodges added. “Things I’ve learned in BPA will help in that.”
Hodges and BPA state Vice President Michaela Methvin were elected Oct. 15 at Fall Delegate Conference in Lawrence. As state officers, their responsibilities included planning and coordinating the state convention, including scripting the opening and closing ceremonies.
Kansas BPA State Convention for 2010 included 483 competitors.
Hodges, Methvin, and Martin Hofkamp placed first in the small business management team event at state. In that event, teams are given a scenario and are asked to give advice for a small business. One scenario they faced was starting a pie business, Methvin said.
National Qualifiers
- Embry Hodges — Kansas Merit Scholar
- Hodges, Martin Hofkamp, and Michaela Methvin — small business management team, first
- Martin Hofkamp — extemporaneous speech, third
- Sarah Hofkamp — prepared speech, first
- Kaitlyn Preheim — National Torch Award
- Zachary Preheim — database applications, fifth
- Austin Savage — fundamental spreadsheet applications, second
- Danielle Savage — National Torch Award
- Seth Topham — fundamental spreadsheet applications, first; database applications, third
- Amy Wedel — fundamental word processing skills, second
- Julie Wedel — National Torch Award; administrative support concepts, third
- Traylee Woodruff — medical office procedures, first; extemporaneous speech, second — Woodruff declined to attend BPA National Convention