TEMPLE, Texas — Two members of the Temple High School chapter of Business Professionals of America (BPA) made history as they brought home trophies after posting top three finishes in competitions at that organization’s National Leadership Conference last weekend.
Atharv Garg and Carlos Gamez became the first Temple High School BPA students to place in competition at the National Leadership Conference (NLC) when they earned spots on the podium. Garg, a freshman, posted the top finish for Temple High School as he took second place nationally in the Banking and Finance competition. He is more interested in a STEM-related career than one in a business-related field after he graduates, but Garg says he learned lessons from the experience of attending and competing in the NLC that will last him a lifetime.
“I feel great, especially because this is such a prestigious competition, and I was very excited when I got called up to the stage,” Garg said. “I have learned problem-solving and researching skills, because you have to find the resources to study and practice for this competition. I have also learned professionalism and how to overcome challenges, and those are skills that I can use anywhere.”
Gamez, a senior, added a third-place national finish in Server Administration using Microsoft. He hopes to attend a technical school after graduation, and he also says the skills he has learned through his participation in BPA will go a long way toward helping him to reach those goals.
“It feels wonderful because I had to compete against people from a lot of different states and being able to hold that trophy up after they called my name is awesome,” Gamez added. “The skills I have learned through this competition I can use if I go to a company to get a job, or if I decide to continue my education. I am very thankful to have had this opportunity and participating in a Caree and Technical Student Organization (CTSO) like BPA makes you more career ready and focused. You can take what you’ve learned and apply it moving forward.”
Temple High School had a total of six students advance to the BPA National Leadership Conference. The Temple HS BPA chapter is under the direction of third-year advisor Jessica Cuellar and the organization continues to provide opportunities for students in several of the career pathways available through Temple ISD’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) Department
“I am extremely proud as a teacher and an advisor and this was kind of the next step in our growth as an organization by having students place at nationals,” Cuellar said. “It is very rewarding to be able to share this experience with them. Our students are meeting people and realizing that these are future CEOs or CFOs or IT professionals, and that they fit in as future industry leaders. To be able to encourage our students to do something they don’t think they can do and get them through regionals, state, and nationals, they realize that it is doable. It is amazing for me to see that hard work they put in pay off and I am looking forward to seeing where they and the organization go from here.”
The BPA National Leadership Conference was held May 6-10th in Nashville, Tennessee. BPA allows students to compete in contests in over ninety categories under six Assessment Areas including: Finance, Business Administration, Management Information Systems, Digital Communication & Design, Management, Marketing, & Communication, and Health Administration.