Top students from Niles High School attended the Business Professionals of America 2017 State Leadership Conference, in Grand Rapids at the Amway Grand Hotel from March 16 to 19.
Niles High School chapter members Rachel Mackey, Nola Wallace, Maryalice Fortier, Madalyn Pfifer, Abby Stein, Cecily Kaufmann, Chad Barton, Kendall Cole, Jillian Goshorn, and Dylan McAllister joined more than 2,000 other conference delegates from across the state to participate in state level business skill competitions, general sessions and the state officer candidate campaigns and elections.
The Business Professionals of America is a national organization for middle school, high school and college students preparing for careers in business and office occupations.
The organization’s activities and programs complement classroom instruction by giving students practical experience through application of the skills learned at school.
Business Professionals of America acts as a cohesive agent in the nationwide networking of education and business and industry, and is contributing to the preparation of a world-class workforce through the advancement of leadership, citizenship, academic and technological skills.
Dylan McAllister placed at the state competition in three events this year. He took third in Network Administration Using Microsoft, third in Computer Security and took bronze in Financial Math and Analysis and has qualified to attend the national competition, taking place at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida this year.
“Students from the Michigan Association’s Region 10 Leadership Conference qualified to participate at the state level conference through tough competition at our Regional Conference in January. The conference emphasizes business workforce education and training which members of the local chapter of Business Professionals of America at Niles have received,” said chapter advisor, Alyse Hoyt who teaches the Career and Technical Education program graphic design and production. “In the past Michigan has done exceptionally well at the national level, taking the majority of medals in the competitions in comparison to all of the other states.”
Michigan is divided into 10 regions and has approximately 4,600 members among approximately 170 local chapters.
Business Professionals of America is a national career and technical student organization consisting of 25 state associations and more than 50,000 members from more than 2,700 chapters.
Business Professionals of America is full of positive, young people wishing to enter a business professional career. This beneficial organization aims to help local youth have a brighter future.