Local BPA-ers compete at national level in nation’s capital
by Sue Austreng
Staff Writer
A record number of Anoka-Hennepin School District’s own Business Professionals of America (BPA) students qualified for national competition, staged May 3 through 8 in the nation’s capital.
A record number of Anoka-Hennepin School District students qualified for the national BPA competition in Washington, D.C. Pictured here are members of the Anoka High School team: Heather Pehlke, Briell Steenerson, Annette Ruiz, Sara Robinson, Cody Mathisen, Nhat Phuong Nguyen, and David Herve. AHS BPA team members not pictured are Erika Ceron-Fernandez and Janine Schug. In all, 27 Anoka-Hennepin students qualified for the national competition.
Competing in categories eclectic and concise, 27 of District 11’s business-minded students fared well, bringing home much hard-earned pride and celebrating their 15 well-deserved minutes of fame.
Simpson Fongthian, representing Champlin Park High School, finished first in the nation in the advanced interview event.
Also representing Champlin Park High School, the website design team (Jerith Bixler, Tanner Chergosky, Andy Zyvoloski and Kootaws Yang) made it to the finalist round in its event.
Anoka High School’s Cody Mathisen, competing in the fundamentals of web design event at nationals, finished in the top 10.
Getting set for nationals
Much research and investigation and many hours of rehearsal prepared team members for nationals, said Anoka High School BPA student and national qualifier Sara Robinson.
Teammate Heather Pehlke agreed. “Whows how committed and hard-working these students are,” said Anoka High’s BPA advisor, Laura BeMent-Jaroscak.
“It is such an honor to advance to nationals,” BeMent-Jaroscak said. “Three thousand students go to state, and then 23 states are represented at nationals, so these students who went on to nationals are the cream of the crop,” she said.
About BPA
Reciting the BPA pledge, “We are met in a spirit of friendship and goodwill as we prepare for careers in a world-class workforce,” BPA-ers participate in the club to prep for careers as professional businessmen and businesswomen.
According to its website, the mission of BPA is to “contribute to the preparation of a world-class workforce through the advancement of leadership, citizenship, academic, and technological skills.”
Anoka High School BPA-ers put it this way…
“We’re in BPA because we want to go on to a business-related type of job. This is the best training, the best exposure you can get to that kind of environment without already being in business,” said Cody Mathisen.
“BPA gives us such a great experience because we get so many opportunities we wouldn’t get if we weren’t in BPA, said Mathisen’s BPA-mate Annette Ruiz.
BPA begins
Back in 1966, articles of incorporation were filed for the Office Education Association (OEA). The organization operated as such until 1988 when OEA became Business Professionals of America, or BPA.
BPA is a co-curricular organization that supports business and information technology educators by offering curriculum based on national standards.
Resources and materials are available on-line and designed to be customized to a school’s program.
Also utilized by BPA, the Workplace Skills Assessment Program (WSAP) prepares students to succeed while it assesses real-world business skills and problem-solving abilities in finance, management, IT and computer applications.
The following won awards:
Simpson Fongthian of Champlin Park High School took first in the nation in the advanced interview event.
Cody Mathisen, Anoka High School, placed in the top 10 in the nation in the fundamentals of web design event.
Blaine High School’s website design team (Jerith Bixler, Tanner Chergosky, Andy Zyvoloski, and Kootaws Yang) made it to the finalist round in its event.
Listed here are all 27 Anoka-Hennepin students who competed in the national BPA competition. The students’ names, national or state office held, home schools and events are listed.
Anoka High School
David Herve, database applications
Annette Ruiz, fundamental keyboarding
Janine Schug, keyboarding fundamentals
Cody Mathisen, fundamentals of web design
Sara Robinson, computerized accounting
Briell Steenerson, financial analyst team
Heather Pehlke, financial analyst team
Erika Ceron-Fernandez, voting delegate for national officers, Minnesota BPA state treasurer and Special Olympics Award
Nhat Phuong Nguyen, voting delegate for national officers, Minnesota BPA state vice president
Blaine High School
Jerith Bixler, website design team
Tanner Chergosky, website design team
Arianna Erickson, legal office procedures
Kimberly Ford, community action award
Brandon Kesler, JAVA programming
Sarah Reinartz, keyboarding production
Thang Vang, entrepreneurship exploration award
Andy Zyvoloski, website design team and marketing and public relations award
Kootaws Yang, website design team
Champlin Park High School
Hannah Flood, presentation management team
Simpson Fongthian, extemporaneous speech, advanced interview skills, voting delegate and Minnesota BPA state president
Anna Hammerschmidt, presentation management team
Stephanie Skomra, presentation management team
Chelsea Regan, global marketing team
Arika Nyhus, global marketing team
Stephanie Simco, presentation management team
Carolyn Door, global marketing team
Coon Rapids High School
Breanna Peterson, word processing
To learn more about BPA visit www.bpa.org.
Sue Austreng is at sue.austreng@ecm-inc.com
