By Alonzo Meza/reporter
After bringing home first-place honors in eight contests at the state level, five NW Campus Business Professionals of America students took part in the organization’s national competition in Anaheim, Calif., in May.
NW participants included Nikki Pagdanganan, graphic design promotion; Sable Spottswood, interview skills; Edgar Alcantara, banking and finance; Emily Almaguer, human resources; and Kathryn Alvarado, financial math and analysis.
Pagdanganan placed in the top 10 in his competition while Spottswood came in third.
Sponsors Jaye Simpson, business assistant professor; and Julie Russell, business and economics instructor, accompanied the students to California.
“I was amazed at the students’ interest in all the different aspects of the leadership conference,” Simpson said.
Russell said she and Simpson were proud of the way their students represented their campus and the TCC district.
“The students never tired, never gave into grumbling, but accomplished every task and opportunity with a smile,” she said.
Selected as voting delegates for Texas, Almaguer, Spottswood and Alvarado participated in the caucuses for the election of national officers.
Before leaving for Anaheim, Pagdanganan talked about the state competition.
“The experience was cool. I got to see that more young people are interested in business than anyone would expect,” he said.
Pagdanganan said the competition was tough.
“Like any competition, you should never underestimate your opponents,” he said. “So I just had to stay focused on finishing what I came to do and deliver for the event.”
He said winning is always a good experience.
“But it’s definitely even sweeter when you get a trip to Disneyland from it,” he said.
BPA is the leading career technical student organization for those pursuing careers in business management, office administration, information technology and other related career fields.
BPA has more than 51,000 members in more than 2,300 chapters in 23 states. 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 online and designed to be customized to a school’s program.
“I know the students had fun,” Russell said. “And while on the flight back, students were already planning next year’s national competition for Washington, D.C.”
