From left: John Alexander and Ian Falcon
Two LHS students place at state Business Professionals of America (BPA) competition.
Junior Ian Falcon placed fourth in the state earning him a spot to go to nationals in Anaheim, California to compete. He competed in Advanced Spreadsheets. Junior John Alexander placed seventh in the state in Advanced Accounting. According to Sonja Stephens, LHS BIM teacher and BPA sponsor, the entire group of kids that participated in competition this year are amazing.
“They have all spent time after school and at home preparing for competition,” said Mrs. Stevens.
“I have not had the privilege of teaching either John or Ian in class, but they are great, respectful young men! I have enjoyed getting to know them and watch them prepare for competition,” she said. “They are both outstanding students who represent their school and their community well.”
To find out more about BPA and what the competition is like, below is a Q&A with Ian Falcon and John Alexander.
Ian Falcon
Q: What was it like to go to state competition in Business Professionals of America?
A:It was honestly an incredible experience and unlike anything I have seen before. The level of competition was nothing like regionals. I was pitted against people from all over Texas, and any small mistake could have meant the difference between qualifying and staying home.
Q: What made you get involved in the program?
A: Mrs. Strong, my BIM II teacher, encouraged me to join this amazing program. I usually don’t like getting outside of my comfort zone, so without her pushing me to join BPA I wouldn’t have been able to make such long lasting memories or experience the new opportunities that have opened up for me.
Q: Would you recommend it to other students and if so, why?
A: Absolutely, BPA offers students an opportunity to meet new people, gain valuable business skills, and obtain unforgettable experiences unlike anything from any other club in school.
Q: What have you benefited from being in the program?
A: BPA has made me realize the potential I have, and has given me the confidence to explore other opportunities such as UIL and other extracurriculars.
Q: You have advanced, what are your thoughts? Are you excited to go the next level? Explain your category and what you’ll do to prepare.
A: I’m very excited to travel to Anaheim. California, but I am nervous to compete at the national level. I compete in Advanced Spreadsheets which works with Microsoft Excel. We’re given a set of files and are tasked to implement formulas to calculate things such as business total income, total costs, average selling price, etc. Then, we’re tasked to organize the data into a table and format it into whatever standard they give us. To prepare for the national level, I will be studying all the practice tests I have been given to make sure I completely understand all the material.
John Alexander:
Q: What was it like to go to state competition in Business Professionals of America?
A: BPA state competition was a unique experience. I enjoyed networking with other members of BPA from across the state of Texas and learning more about leadership. Additionally, I was thrilled to attend the BPA state competition as it allowed me to demonstrate my skills in accounting through my Advanced Accounting event. The state competition was much different than our regional competition at Dayton as the scale of the competition was much larger and tougher.
Q: What made you get involved in the program?
A: I joined BPA as I’m interested in a career in business, and I wanted a platform to hone my skills and explore different career paths.
Q: Would you recommend it to other students and if so, why?
A: I would recommend BPA to other students because it allows them to explore different fields of business.
Q: What have you benefited from being in the program?
A: Through this program I have forged new friendships, received awards in various competitions, and explored different aspects of the field of business as a high schooler.
(PHOTO BY: ANDY ADAMS/Lufkin ISD)