Students from Highland Community College Technical Center (HCCTC) Business Professionals of America (BPA) chapter were among the nearly 7,000 attendees representing nearly 800 school chapters who attended the 2025 BPA National Leadership Conference in Orlando, Florida, May 7-11.
While in Orlando, students vied for top honors in BPA’s Workplace Skill Assessment Program competitions, which cover the areas of business administration, digital communication and design, finance, health administration, information technology, management, marketing and communication. Conference participants also attended leadership development workshops, received awards for community service activities and elected BPA’s 2025–2026 national student leadership team.
The members from the HCCTC’s BPA chapter who attended the National Leadership Conference were Highland Community College Technical Center’s instructor Carrie Miller, students Kaydeece Fultz (Effingham), Adeline McManus (Effingham), Emma Rameriz (Atchison), Aiden Rathert (Troy), Teagan Sharp (Powhattan), Dane Spillman (Atchison), Charles Tilton (Atchison) and Isaiah Woolston (Atchison).
Fultz, Spillman, Tilton and Woolston participated in the Administrative Support Team and placed second. Fultz placed fourth in Fundamental Desktop Publishing and fifth in Fundamental Word Processing. McManus received first in Health Administration Procedures and second in Health Insurance Medical Billing. Rathert placed eighth in Contemporary Issues and seventh in Health Administration Procedures. Spillman received fourth in Fundamental Word Processing. Tilton placed eighth in Banking and Finance. Woolston placed second in Fundamental Word Processing, seventh in Entrepreneurship and seventh in Project Management. Rameriz and Sharp received an award for completing the six workshops for the BPA Leadership Passport, sponsored by BPA.
“The National Leadership Conference is a milestone moment for our student members, representing a year of dedication, growth and achievement,” said Carrie Miller, BPA Advisor. “This event is more than just competitions—it’s about developing leadership skills, earning industry certifications and celebrating the hard work that sets our members up findustry certifications and celebrating the hard work that sets our members up for future success.”
While in Orlando, participants also had opportunities to network with other BPA members and business leaders, visit famous attractions in the region and participate in several community service activities honoring the Special Olympics, BPA’s national service project.
The 2025 National Leadership Conference was presented by Certiport, a Pearson VUE business, the leading provider of certification exam development, delivery and program management services.
About Business Professionals of America
Founded in 1966, Business Professionals of America (BPA) is the premier Career and Technical Student Organization (CTSO) for middle school, high school and college students preparing for careers in business, finance, information technology and related fields. BPA provides members with opportunities for growth through competition, leadership, personal development and community service. The organization has more than 62,000 members in nearly 1,500 chapters across the United States and in Canada, China, Haiti, Puerto Rico, Singapore, South Korea and the United Kingdom. Learn more at www.bpa.org.