What is BPA?
Today’s students. Tomorrow’s business professionals
The entire BPA club at UFLC
It’s not just a club it’s a family. Business Professionals of America, also known as BPA, is a business organization that prepares kids for their future in the business world. Diane Fickel is the head business teacher and the main adviser for BPA. Fickel has been running BPA since starting at West 25 years ago. “ . [BPA] will round you out and provide you with the necessary skills to be successful in many ways [like]; collaboration, teamwork, poise, professionalism and a sense of how the world operates,” explains Fickel.
After the United Fall Leadership Conference in Des Moines, BPA members began picking their events to compete at regionals that will be held for the first time at West High School in hopes of making it on to state in Des Moines, and then nationals in Anaheim, California. There’s a long list of events including team events like presentation management and small business management or single events like word processing, fundamentals of accounting and computer network technology along with many others. Categories of events can range from computer skills, marketing and entrepreneurship to administration. “[All events are] realistic and most of the events that we have at BPA are totally authentic. And give you real life experience and their going to propel you into success in the future,” Fickel said.
Abbie Weipert the second business teacher and adviser for BPA has been at West High for two years. When Weipert was attending West she did BPA her senior year which put her on a path of pursuing business that launched her into the career she has today. “It made me very serious about business so I ended up entering college as a business minor with a chemistry major but at least I was interested in [business]. BPA narrowed my focus. Instead of dabbling in many things in college, I had one thing I was passionate about,” explained Weipert.
For Morgan Hawkins ‘19 BPA has given her a second family. Working in the beloved Pump It Up cafe and being apart of the executive board has provided Hawkins with useful real world skills. “I didn’t know much about business, I understood that business was important but it [BPA] kind of helped me be able to identify when there’s a problem and how to fix it. Before I joined BPA I was going to be a physical therapist and then after joining BPA I was wanting to go into business administration management. [competing in the small business management competition] gave me a sense of what that job would actually be like.” Explained Hawkins.
For Hawkins BPA has given her the chance to travel, meet new people and gain useful experience for the career she would like to have in the future.
Fickle encourages everyone even slightly interested in business to come and try BPA. “Most kids are hesitant in joining the club because number one they think it’s hard, and number two they don’t have the time you know they can come up with a multitude of excuses, so i’m looking for people who want to take a risk who want to work hard and want to set themselves apart If someone’s on the fence all I can say is give it a try. I think once you try it you’re gonna love it.¨
To view all BPA competitive events click this link to learn more