Leadership – Oklahoma BPA

Oklahoma BPA Takes Chicago by Storm at 2024 National Leadership Conference

markburch — Mon, 19 Jun 2023 19:05:53 +0000

Oklahoma BPA chapters and students dominated the 2024 National Leadership Conference (NLC), held May 8-14 in Chicago, Illinois. Over 6,700 BPA members from across the nation competed, with Oklahoma sending a strong delegation of 380 students representing 69 impressive chapters.

A Showcase of Excellence

Oklahoma students displayed exceptional skills across all levels, achieving remarkable results:

Middle Level: Secured 2 finalist positions and brought home 2 national championships.
Secondary Level: Earned 6 finalist spots, converting 5 into national titles and 1 into a second-place finish.
Post-Secondary Level: Captured a staggering 60 finalist positions, translating into 27 national championships, 19 second-place finishes, and 14 third-place finishes.
National Virtual Event Showcase: The Francis Tuttle Technology Center – Deer Creek High School team reached the finals, showcasing Oklahoma’s innovative spirit.

Celebrating Dedication

The conference also recognized outstanding advisors who have dedicated years to shaping future business leaders:

Susanne Silk (Western Technology Center, Sayre) was honored for a remarkable 25 years of service.
Five advisors: Recognized for 20 years of dedication.
Seven advisors: Celebrated for 15 years of service.
Eight advisors: Applauded for 10 years of service.
Seventeen advisors: Acknowledged for 5 years of service.

Industry-Ready Skills

Oklahoma BPA students further solidified their career readiness:

149 students tested for industry certifications, with 95 successfully passing in industry tests sponsored by Certiport, TestOut, and YouScience.

Recognizing Changemakers

This year 27 Oklahoma students received the prestigious Ambassador Torch award, highlighting their exceptional community service and advocacy within BPA.

BPA Cares Awards Sweep

Oklahoma chapters demonstrated a deep commitment to giving back, garnering a remarkable 30 BPA Cares Awards across various categories.

Twenty-two Oklahoma chapters earned the esteemed National BPA Quality Chapter of Distinction Award.

Oklahoma retained the traveling Post Secondary Professional Cup for the third consecutive year, a testament to consistent excellence.

Oklahoma Takes Center Stage

Several Oklahoma representatives shone brightly:

Makayla Adams (Cashion High School): Proudly represented Oklahoma during the parade of associations.
National Officer Elections: Makayla Adams (Cashion High School) was elected as National Parliamentarian and Thomas Branson (Cashion High School) secured the National Treasurer position.

BPA Leadership

Oklahoma made significant contributions to National BPA leadership:

Athena Frank (retired from Central Technology Center Drumright): Elected to a three-year term on the National Board of Trustees and will serve as the board treasurer.

Amy McClure (Northwest Technology Center Fairview): Elected to a three-year term on the National BPA Board of Trustees.
Mark Burch, Oklahoma BPA State Advisor, completed her term on the National Board of Trustees and two years as National Board Chair, and will continue serving on the board as Past Board Chair for the 2024-2025 year.

This remarkable showing at the NLC exemplifies the exceptional talent and dedication of Oklahoma BPA students, advisors, and chapters. Their achievements demonstrate a commitment to excellence in business education, leadership development, and creating positive change in their communities.

Eastern OK County Technology Center BPA Week

markburch — Mon, 19 Jun 2023 18:48:36 +0000

The Eastern OK County Technology Center BPA students had fun preparing for BPA Week! First some of the BPA officers handed out BPA suckers and presented “What is BPA?” to the sophomore Explore students that visit EOC. They also played “Trashket Ball” during breaktime and handed out BPA suckers for prizes. The BPA students also created a “BPA Week” video and had it playing on the big screen TV’s in the breakroom while students were playing trashket ball. The BPA students had a lot of fun promoting BPA, playing trashket ball and handing out BPA suckers to the EOC students.

-Tracie Spencer

Sallisaw Chapter Visit – Thomas Branson

markburch — Mon, 19 Jun 2023 13:13:00 +0000

Hello Oklahoma BPA! On October 26th, Makayla Adams and I had the privilege of visiting the Sallisaw BPA Chapter. We arrived at the school and we were brought to their amazing computer lab.

There we were warmly greeted by Mr. Rhoads and were later introduced to Ms. McCrary, who are the secondary and mid-level chapter advisors. We began the meeting with an icebreaker called “Letter Association”. We divided the group into two sides of the room. Students were given a letter and a topic and the first to grab our microphone and say a word associated won. After this, we presented a slide show covering what BPA is, becoming an active member, torch awards, WSAP, officer roles, increasing membership, fundraising ideas, and chapter projects. During our presentation, we asked the members for their thoughts and ideas on fundraisers and if they enjoyed the Fall Leadership Conference. We ended with having the chapter ask us questions about our slideshow, the state office, and general BPA knowledge.

We had a fantastic time getting to speak to this chapter. There is such incredible energy coming from the students and I do not doubt that this chapter will have an incredibly successful year. I can’t wait to hear about all they do as they Seize the Opportunity this year!

-Thomas Branson

Newcastle High School Visit

markburch — Mon, 12 Jun 2023 01:54:32 +0000

On October 5th, Thomas Branson and I had the opportunity to speak to Newcastle High School about BPA. Their wonderful advisors, Mr. Duncan and Mr. Scott, warmly welcomed us with a variety of gifts such as t-shirts and notebooks. Prior to our visit, we were informed that majority of the students attending were not BPA members, because of this we made our presentation on general BPA knowledge to hopefully spark some interest. We spoke to two class periods and had a 20 minute question and answer with a smaller group. Being able to engage with other students is one of my favorite parts of being a state officer. We started out this visit by playing a competitive game where the winner received a prize. Then, we gave our presentation and answered questions. At the end of the visit, Mr. Duncan and Mr. Scott treated us and our local advisor to a delicious lunch. After this visit, Mr. Duncan informed us that their chapter has grown by 20 members since our visit! Newcastle High School is very hospitable and thoughtful. I also liked how eager some of the students were to learn about BPA. Thank you so much to Newcastle High School for having us, it was a pleasure to visit you!

– Makayla Adams

Tulsa Tech Chapter Visit

markburch — Sun, 11 Jun 2023 03:18:42 +0000

In September, Thomas Branson and I had the honor to visit Tulsa Tech for their CTSO Kickoff. Upon arrival, we were greeted by Mr. Corbin Allen who gave us a tour of a few business classrooms. We even got to see a bulletin board of previously submitted state pin designs. The technology center had set aside this day to help new and old members become more involved in their offered CTSO’s, these include BPA, HOSA, and SkillsUSA. We spoke to the morning class about BPA before one of their amazing advisors gave a presentation. After the presentation, we were able to answer a variety of questions from students. I loved how interactive this group was, they asked us about competitions, torch awards, and running for state office. When we were done answering questions, the students were separated into four groups and went to play games with the other students from HOSA and SkillsUSA. Everyone we spoke to at this technology center was very kind and polite, they were especially helpful in guiding us to the correct location. I enjoyed getting to meet this chapter. I hope to see these wonderful members competing at the State Leadership Conference! Thank you so much to the wonderful advisors of Tulsa Tech for hosting us!

-Makayla Adams

Gordon Cooper Chapter Visit – Thomas Branson

markburch — Sat, 10 Jun 2023 03:16:00 +0000

Visiting the BPA Chapter at the Gordon Cooper Technology Center was a very great experience. Makayla Adams, Maggie Battles, Aspen Nelson, and I were warmly welcomed on September 29 by Jessica Utter, the GCTC Chapter advisor. We had the honor and opportunity to be there during the Chapter Officer Installation Ceremony for the morning team and one for the afternoon team. After each team was installed, there were receptions to celebrate their accomplishment. After the receptions, the State Officer team had a presentation prepared for the chapter officers and members. For both classes, we began with and game of BPA bingo, then began our presentation about why you should be an active member, how you can be an active member, becoming a leader, participating in community service, and chapter involvement. We also talked about the Torch Awards, the WSAP competitions, and our upcoming Fall Leadership Conference. Both classes of the chapter were very engaged and asked lots of questions wanting to learn more about state office and BPA information in general.

I would like to thank the GCTC Chapter on behalf of the State Officer Team for inviting us to their amazing ceremonies. Their chapter has big plans and is definitely going to be a very successful and active chapter.

– Thomas Branson