CORPUS CHRISTI—This past weekend, Business Professionals of America (BPA) team advanced past their competition at Callallen High School.

The mission of BPA is to bring students together and give them the opportunity to put themselves out there and learn from business professionals. Students involved also learn about leadership and professional communication.

The different competitions in Callallen include interview skills, public speaking, speeches, small business management, business law, and many more. Once reaching the state level, there are opportunities for scholarship money involved in awards.

“(Advancing) was fantastic! For this only being our very first year together it felt like a huge accomplishment! I absolutely enjoyed seeing all of our people get huge results,” said senior and club president Cristian Arriaga.

Eventually, membership in BPA, a group of people all planning to enter into the business and professional work environments, can lead to an amazing networking opportunity at an age as young as 14 years old. 

The program can be very beneficial for many students and it teaches all sorts of skills that are important in life after high school, providing a good starting point for students.

“I absolutely love being a part of BPA. I enjoyed getting to see everyone come together and reach for high goals the most. My favorite part of BPA is competing and our Chick-fil-A leadership academy. Currently, in our CFA leader academy we’re working on a fundraiser with the hopes of giving all of our raised money to a greater cause like hunger, clothing needs, or first responders!” said Arriaga.

As students, it’s very important to do extracurricular activities in high school that will help prepare for the future. Without these extracurriculars, students are at a disadvantage.

BPA is a great choice for an extracurricular activity that will create a well-rounded experience. One of the fundraisers BPA has done was last night’s Chick-fil-A Spirit Night. Be sure to look out for more information on future fundraisers and support your fellow Hornets!