Courtesy photo Bay College students recently Earn the Right to Compete at the National Leadership Conference for Business Professionals of America . They are, from left, Kenneth Schultz, Tristan Kuntze, James McNeil, Neil Dennis, Steven Lippold, Maia Roll, Renee Perrault, Olivia Rivard, and Maurice Henderson – Michigan’s BPA Director

ESCANABA — Seven students from Bay College and the LSSU Regional Center earned the right to compete in Dallas, Texas at the National Leadership Conference for Business Professionals of America (BPA). They did it by placing in the top three in their respective events at the BPA State Leadership Conference hosted by Davenport University, Grand Rapids.

This was the third year in a row that the Bay College/LSSU Regional Center won 1st place in the Video Production event at the State Level. They won that event at the National Level in 2016 and 2017 and now have the opportunity to win it again come this May. That team consists of Tristan Kuntze and Oliva Rivard.

“What excites me about competing in the Video Production Team event, is that there is a new topic each year that encourages us as a team to think outside of the box to create something great and truly enjoy doing it at the same time.”, stated Tristan Kuntze, the BPA student club President. “I was hooked on video production since I was in high school. I had an English teacher that gave us the option to either write a paper on what we were learning at the time or gather a few friends and make a video (which I always chose). Each year that I have competed in the event I have stumbled across new technology that pushes me to get a little more creative and that much better than the previous year.”

“I have been a member of BPA since 9th grade at Stephenson High School and I am currently nearing the end of my third year here at Bay College. BPA has definitely had a substantial impact on the person I am today. Over the years, I have developed many skills that you don’t typically learn in the classroom. You can read about what makes someone a good leader, the benefits of working as a team, time management, and so much more, but many people have never actually experienced these opportunities. BPA has provided me all of these opportunities and experiences that I feel will truly benefit me when searching for a future career and set me apart from the other job applicants.” (Tristan Kuntze)

The highlight from the weekend was when Escanaba High School Junior, Renee Perrault (dual-enrolled at Bay College), took 1st Place in the Entrepreneurship category. Renee defended her business plan in front of a panel of judges.

Other students earning their right to compete at the National Leadership Conference were Maia Roll, Neil Dennis, Steven Lippold, and James McNeil. For more information about Business Professionals of America, visit www.bpa.org.