Crown Point High School’s Business Professionals of America chapter had an unforgettable experience at their annual State Leadership Conference. From qualifying for the National Leadership Conference, attending leadership seminars and electing new officers onto the State Officer leadership team, students and advisors left the conference ecstatic.

“I have been advising BPA for 17 years, and I can honestly say that this has been my most memorable State Leadership Conference,” co-advisor Mary Bachnak said. “The students were all consummate professionals. They acted with dignity and represented Crown Point BPA with class.”

The following 11 members will move on to represent Crown Point BPA at the National Leadership Conference taking place in Chicago from May 10-14 later this spring. These students competed in events showcasing their skills in accounting and finance, presentation and design skills, and 3D computer modeling. Their stellar performance and following rankings at the State conference allowed them to qualify to compete at the National level:

#1 Mason Erbini: Presentation Individual
#2 Jake Baumann: Entrepreneurship
#3 Jake Baumann: Computer Modeling
#3 Parliamentary Procedure Team: Ari Bairaktaris, Aiden Couwenhoven, Mason Erbini, Panagiotis Mattingly, Parker Niksch, Devion Outten, Cesar Querimit Jr.,Trent Tillich
#5 Xzavier Menchaca: Fundamental Accounting
#5 Mary Mumaugh: Digital Media Production

The hard work put in the entire season by all of the competitors really paid off this year. “I do believe the majority of our success has something to do with the amount of practices we had, especially compared to last year,” sophomore Ari Bairaktaris said. “It just feels really inspiring to be able to qualify for nationals as we were so close last year.”

This achievement could not have been made with just the students’ efforts – the advisors played a big role too. “This year, the Parliamentary Procedure Team and I worked extremely hard throughout the year with practice tests, role playing, and conducting meetings,” co-advisor Scott MacFarland said. “I look forward to seeing what they can accomplish in Chicago and I can’t wait to see what more years of hard work will do for them in the future.”

The conference was not just filled with competition. The leadership seminars attended by all members who attended the conference were full of excitement and knowledge to learn. “I learned important skills such as public speaking and how to improve my presentation skills,” said freshman Noah Chapko. “I would have to say that my favorite part of the leadership seminars was meeting different BPA members from around the state of Indiana and learning a little bit about them.”

Highlights of the trip included qualifying for nationals and attending leadership seminars; however, one of the biggest, most important aspects of the conference was the new inductees into the State Officer Leadership Team. Crown Point BPA chapter president Panagiotis Mattingly will serve as the new Region 1 President for the 2024-2025 school year, replacing current senior Jerzy Mayer as she graduates. “I am very excited to serve as the new Region 1 President,” Mattingly said. “I really want to be able to have the opportunity to provide the same enjoyment I have in BPA to kids all over Northwest Indiana.”

Additionally, sophomore Miles Warren ran for a statewide position on the Leadership Team and was elected as the 2024-2025 Indiana BPA State President. “I worked really hard for this position by thinking outside the box for campaigning, perfecting and memorizing my speech, and paying great attention to the requirements of my position,” said Warren. “I am very ecstatic to serve as the State President for the 2024-2025 year and I look forward to working with the leadership team and members of the organization to grow Indiana BPA.”

There is no doubt that this year’s State Leadership Conference was like none other. With the National Leadership Conference coming up right around the corner and the induction of new officers on the State Officer Leadership Team, the future of Crown Point BPA is bright.