BY JERRY GALLAGHER

Seventeen Wood River High School students participated in the Business Professionals of America (BPA) Regional Leadership Conference—and all did well enough to advance to the State Leadership Conference. 

The state conference will be held at the Boise Center Feb.12-14, 2024. If students qualify at that event, they will advance to the Business Professionals of America National Regional Leadership Conference in the spring. 

The following students participated:

• Leila Brickley (245 Legal Office Procedures, 1st Place)
• Deva Burns (505 Entrepreneurship, 1st Place; 510 Small Bus Management Team, 1st Place)
• Franni Camilli (265 Business Law and Ethics, 5th Place; 510 Small Bus Management Team, 1st Place)
• Maeve Coffelt (Podcast Production Team, 1st Place)
• Dionise Guerra-Carrillo (610 Health Administration Procedures, 5th Place; 605 Health Insurance and Medical Billing, 1st Place)
• Annabel Jenson (Podcast Production Team, 1st Place)
• Asher Knowles (525 Extemporaneous Speech, 2nd Place; 460 Visual Design Team, 2nd Place)
• Erick Marin (615 Health Research Presentation, 3rd Place; 610 Health Administration Procedures, 1st Place)
• Avery Nordenfelt (510 Small Bus Management Team, 1st Place; 205 Intermediate WP Skills, 2nd Place)
• Brett Poggi (155 Economic Research Individual, 1st Place)
• Sherlin Ramirez-Lopez (145 Banking & Finance, 2nd Place; 245 Legal Office Procedures, 3rd Place)
• Chase Schwartz (Podcast Production Team, 1st Place)
• Ella Shaughnessy (545 Prepared Speech, 2nd; 460 Visual Design Team, 2nd)
• Cedar Shepard (155 Economic Research Individual, 2nd Place; 355 Python Programming)
• Charlotte Stone (605 Medical Ins and Billing, 2nd)
• Jack Tenold (460 Visual Design Team, 2nd; 410 Graphic Design Promotion)
• Winneli Weaver (540 Ethics & Professionalism; 535 Human Resource Management, 1st)

“In my 27 years as the BPA Advisor, this is the highest number of qualifying students that we have seen,” said Lisa Hoskins, Wood River High School BPA advisor. “We are so excited about these accomplishments and we cannot wait to see our students thrive at the state conference. At WRHS, we want to ensure all of our students are ready for life post-graduation. The BPA conferences are an amazing way to encourage the development of life-long skills.”

Each fall, students can join BPA during registration for a $25 fee. BPA students are required to attend eight meetings and the regional conference in at least one event of their choice. Over the course of more than 60 BPA events, students develop teamwork, presentation and social skills.

To learn more about the Business Professionals of America, visit https://idahobpa.org.