Iowa Lakes Community College Student Places at National Business Professionals of America Conference

national business professionals

(Estherville, Iowa) One hard-working and deserving Iowa Lakes Community College student, Jessica Walker, placed second in her division at the 2022 Business Professionals of America (BPA) National Conference held in Dallas, Texas. Walker joined over 6,000 conference delegates representing 25 states and Puerto Rico to compete nationally in business skills competitions, workshops, and general sessions.

Walker took second place in the Integrated Office Applications category and was a finalist in the Fundamental Word Processing category at nationals this year. The Integrated Office Applications category focuses on using Microsoft Office products such as Word, Excel, Access, and Powerpoint to introduce and integrate documents on the exam.

Iowa Lakes Administrative Professionals Professor and BPA Advisor, Deb Jones, accompanied Walker at the competition and shared, “Jessica did an outstanding job in the BPA competition and will be successful in her future career.”

Certiport, a Pearson VUE business and leading provider of certification exam development, delivery, and program management services, presented the 2022 Leadership Conference. Conference attendees had the option to complete certifications from Certiport during the event in Dallas.

“For students and chapter advisors attending the National Leadership Conference, the event is the culmination of a year’s work,” said Dr. Brenda Jacobsen, Chair of BPA’s National Board of Trustees. “We applaud these BPA members for the energy they have devoted to advancing to nationals in competitive events, sharpening their career skills, and contributing to community betterment through service initiatives.”

Founded in 1966, BPA is the premier Career and Technical Student Organization for middle, high school, and college students preparing for careers in business, finance, management information systems, and related fields. BPA provides members with opportunities for growth through education, competition, community service, and personal development.

The BPA organization currently has 38,000 members in 1,600 chapters in the United States, China, Haiti, and Peru. BPA activities and programs complement classroom instruction giving students practical experience through the meaningful application of the skills learned at school.