Henna Khan

Staff Writer/Photographer

               Members of the Business Professionals of America spent their Saturday competing at the regional competition at Coppell High School on Jan. 23. With their formal attire, laptops in hand and projectors nearby, competitors prepared to show their presentations, and hopefully qualify for the upcoming state level competition in Fort Worth.

                BPA is amongst the leading student and technical organizations for students pursuing careers in business management, office administration, information technology and other career fields within this genre. The program is conducted on regional, state and national levels and tests competency in various areas of business and office occupations. Each member is allowed to compete in no more than one individual and one team event when participating at a competition.

               With events such as advanced accounting, database applications and Java programming, students have a variety of choices.

                The BPA club has been open to the student body for quite some time at CHS, and every year a relatively talented group of kids participate Computer Science and Web Technologies teacher, Jan McClintock, happens to be the BPA regional advisor as well as the BPA state board secondary advisor chair.                                                                                                      

              McClintock, along with the help of sponsor Cynthia Wolfe, has helped coach the BPA members for approximately the past 15 years. Although this is McClintock’s last year as the director of the contest, she will continue to coach the team.

                “Usually we meet once a month, but for the past month it has been more than that,” McClintock said. “Mrs. Wolfe and I look at the projects from time to time and help make changes along the way. I have great kids in the club every year that amaze me at what they can do, and this year we have a good chance of bringing home the trophy at state, and then advancing to nationals.”

                At the regional competition alone, 28 of the 33 members on the CHS team qualified for state in either one or both of the events they had entered.

                “I am competing in two events, economic research and networking, and I am very sure that I will qualify in both,” junior Mitu Bhattatiry said. “It takes a certain amount of skill, even if you don’t know what you’re talking about; the key is to remain confident.” Bhattatiry ended up qualifying in both of her events.

                Although the BPA members view competing as a challenge, a large majority of the round lies in the hands of the judges. Members of the school board as well as members of the CHS staff who judged at this weekend’s competition were engineering teacher Michael Yakubovsky, career and technology education and service learning coordinator Donna Carpenter, director of communications and public relations Tamera Ringo and staff development director Michelle King.

                “Most of the judges are volunteers with either a slight amount of knowledge on the topic or some sort of business background,” senior Peter Chang, co-president of BPA, said.

                BPA is recommended for improving public speaking skills and gain a sense of professionalism. Members say that there is an event for everyone that will essentially help build skills for the future.

                “It changes lives. They learn what the business world expects, and they learn how to dress and interact with people as well,” McClintock said.

                Red Jackets were also present Saturday serving as hosts to the other schools. Their main purpose was to make sure everything was functioning, rooms were clean and other schools were not getting lost in the hallways.

                From state, competitors hope to make it to nationals that will be held in Anaheim, Calif. during the first week of May.