By Brittany Sollinger

Framingham, MA- Six Lowell High School (LHS) students recently qualified for the Business Professionals of America National Leadership Conference to be held in Anaheim, California in May.

Meisang Hong and Chummeng Soun, seniors, Josef Jusczak, a junior, Narie Seng and, Brittany Sollinger, sophomores will travel to California to represent LHS at the conference.  Hong earned a golden ticket to go to the nationals by successfully passing the BPA Merit Scholar Test.

BPA gives students an opportunity to participate in different activities as they prepare for the real business world, while at the same time they develop a business focused attitude, according to the BPA website.

From March 7-9 LHS BPA chapter members participated in workshops, competed in judged and written events, ran for state office, and received recognition for exemplary scores in competitive categories.

Hong, Jusczak, and Seng were recognized for service to the organization of torch awards and received Executive Torch pins. Seng successfully ran a campaign and was elected to office as the Secretary of the Massachusetts State Office Team.  As Secretary, Seng is the first LHS student to hold such a position since the onset of the program. Furthermore, Sollinger placed Fourth in Extemporaneous Speech and Fifth in the Parliamentary Procedures Event.

Lowell High School swept the Parliamentary Procedures Event with Soun in Second place, sophomore Mateus Siqueira in Third place, and senior Malaysia Sophia Buth placing Fourth. Lastly, junior Devlin Higginbottom with his business plan, Devlin’s Candy Cart, placed Fourth in Entrepreneurship. Each of these members are eligible to participate in the conference as a result of their achievements.

Fifteen chapters from across Massachusetts competed in the BPA State Leadership Conference. These students took part in numerous competitive events in the hopes of qualifying to go to the BPA national conference.

At the Sheraton Tara Hotel the students participated in a weekend full of competitions, meetings with members of different chapters, and making future business contacts not to mention life long memories.

Lowell High School, Greater Lowell Technical High School, and thirteen other Massachusetts high schools competed in both judged and open business events.

The students learned how to prepare for the BPA national conference, practiced competition techniques and saw firsthand how to bring the most professional business attitude and appearance forward.

Beginning in 1966, Business Professionals of America is a career and technical student organization for students that wish to pursue a career in business. BPA is a top organization with 43,000 members in over 2,300 chapters across twenty-three states. With major programs such as The National Leadership Academy, Officer Elections, and the Torch Awards Program, members have the opportunity to be recognized, gain leadership skills, and earn scholarships.

 During the weekend, members also took part in the Rice Bowl Challenge to improve their knowledge of subjects categories such as history, language, and vocabulary.  The challenge tests students’ knowledge while at the same time raises money to donate rice less fortunate children.

LHS participants also helped the Tantasqua Chapter by creating cards for overseas troops. Furthermore, by purchasing glow sticks, the members from LHS helped raise money for the Massachusetts Special Olympics.

Other members that attended the State Leadership Conference included Julie Akinyi competing in Extemporaneous Speech, Nneka Lezama competing in Banking and Finance, Dina Chau in Banking and Finance along with Fundamental Accounting, Rinna Chau competing in Fundamental Accounting, and Banking and Finance, Sophia Marsden in Interview Skills and Fundamental Word Processing; and Tiffany Das Chagas and Kaila Chanthaboun in Marketing, Management, and Communication.

At the conference the LHS BPA members represented the school’s core values of responsibility, integrity, determination, engagement, and respect.