“BPA has helped me in many ways to be prepared for college, but specifically in high school I was very shy. The opportunities for group work and public speaking, especially at regionals and state competitions, helped me come out of my shell and be a more vocal student.
As a political science major this has been a crucial aspect towards accomplishing my goals, and without the confidence BPA gave me I might not be on the path I am today.”
Taylor DeVito
Marketing, University of Cincinnati
Class of 2018
“BPA has bettered me in so many ways, such as giving me a step up in my college coursework. I had already established a linked in profile, created a resume, and learned basic business principles & laws, and a great understanding of Microsoft office all from BPA. What I learned from BPA impressed my professors and only prepared me more for college.
I am so happy I have gained network connections, communication skills, and a lifelong family through BPA. I cannot wait to see what my future has to hold because of the help of my favorite program Business Professionals of America.”
Gaby Hattar
Early Childhood Education, Miami University Class of 2019
“As I begin my journey through college, I have found that BPA helped me not only to maintain professionalism with my peers, but to uphold my organizational skills as well. I entered college having already created a resume and with the knowledge on how to update it accordingly, making it a lot easier to apply for jobs and educational cohorts. All in all, BPA provided me with every professional skill I need to succeed, despite my being an education major. Not to mention, I already have tons of business wear that I used for BPA which I now won’t need to purchase for future inquiries.”
Katherine Hembree
B.S.N. Nursing, Xavier University Cardio Cath Nurse, Tri-Health Hospitals Class of 2009
“This class is not just for those wanting to major in business or political science in college. This class and Mrs. Kovacs engage students in learning about easily applicable skills relates me to any area of business and in understanding the structure of business and different aspects, students can understand bottom line approaches and see how it affects their work.
Throughout my college education and years as an ICU, ER, and Cardiac Cath Lab nurse, I cannot reiterate how valuable this class was. In college, I worked on campus in an office setting and utilized Excel and Word skills that I had from BPA. When I got my apartment and signed for student loans, I was able to understand more aspects of my lease and terms from learning about contracts and legal terminology. And even in my practice as a nurse, I am very aware of my professional conduct and public speaking when I’m caring for patients or educating fellow nurses, all of which are a thanks to the course curriculum and projects through BPA. This class provides experience through its internships that I could not have received elsewhere and exposed me to the reality of collaboration, responsibility, and professionalism in the work place. College will help prepare you for a job, but BPA will help prepare you for a career.”
Garrett Kraus
Engineering, Marshall University
Class of 2017
“I wasn’t sure if BPA in high school would help an engineering major like me, but it ended up helping in countless ways. I learned how to nail job interviews, manage my time, and what it takes to be a business professional.
I also developed teamwork and project management skills; which are extremely important when going into the engineering field.”
Danielle Kulbe
Nursing, St. Thomas Moore
Class of 2019
“BPA has helped me in many ways. It helped to prepare for college and taught me how to succeed in the real world. As a nursing major I wasn’t very sure how much a business class would help me. I use the skills I learned in BPA in my college courses. BPA will teach you the importance of community service as well as learning on how to become a leader. I recommend this class to anybody willing to put forth the extra effort, it will benefit you in more ways than you expect.”
Brett Moles
Business, University of Michigan
Class of 2018
“I left Mrs. Kovacs class with skills such as communication and initiative, but most importantly, BPA taught me the ability to work efficiently in an environment oriented around teamwork.
It is a class that I will always be grateful for, as the professional development that I received during my time with Mrs. Kovacs has helped kick start me in my business path.”
Mikayla Moles
B.S. MIS and M.S. Data Analytics, University of Alabama Cybersecurity Project Manager, Microsoft Class of 2014
“While BPA taught me a lot about business processes, legal acumen, and management styles, the true value lay in the soft skills Mrs. Kovacs helped me develop during my three years in the program.
This includes leadership, teamwork, management, public speaking, networking and interpersonal skills, all of which have helped me to succeed on both a personal and professional level.
Mrs. Kovacs’ class also helped build a confidence in me that pushed me to pursue my passion in technology, even though women make up less than 20 percent of U.S. tech jobs, and find a career I love.”
Zach Newcomb
Finance, University of Alabama
Class of 2018
“I have been going through recruiting for investment banks and money managers in Chicago, New York and Los Angeles. In every single interview, they ask about your experiences with working in teams, public speaking, and solving problems. In my experience, employers do not care about the classes you took in high school. They care about what background and skills you bring that other applicants do not have. BPA gave me opportunities and experiences to answer those questions as I built my college resume.”
Joey Rodriguez
Political Science/Pre-Law, Miami University
Class of 2019
“The tools BPA equips you with will serve you long after you’ve left the classroom. For example, I was just hired for my first on campus job this semester. The interview skills made questioning a breeze. Using the resume, I made in class, with some minor tweaks, left my now employer telling me how impressed he was. It not only helped me stand out, but it made me prepared where I otherwise would have struggled. BPA makes you a better person overall, and I’m grateful I signed up my sophomore, junior, and senior year. If I could take it again, I would.”
Bryan Sauter
Computer Engineering, Indiana University
Class of 2020
"BPA has helped me to prepare for college and life. You might think that going into the engineering and computer field would have no use for BPA, however, that is very wrong. BPA has helped me make my resume better, know how to be confident in interviews, and learn critical soft skills. BPA also gives you a lot of opportunities to improve your leadership skills and resume. I would highly recommend taking the class to prepare just not for college but for the real world."
Will Scheffter
Lindner College of Business, UC
Class of 2018
“BPA has helped me in numerous ways in college so far. Not only has it given me the tools and education to know what I would like to do in life, but also it gave me the experience needed to excel and stand out from my peers. The professionalism and personal development taught through BPA has allowed me to gain positions of leadership in organizations I am a part of. On top of that, the experience and accomplishments I’ve gotten from BPA has led to meaningful conversations with recruiters of companies that were interested in the things I gained from BPA.”
Bailey Schultz
BS Digital Media and Design, University of Kentucky
Class of 2014
“BPA not only built my confidence in High School but set me up to flourish in my professional career after college. I have been across the world working and teaching video production. Through BPA’s public speaking opportunities and interview skills, I am able to convey my ideas in a clear and concise manner to a diverse audience.”
Megan Wallace
Marketing, Miami University
Class of 2020
BPA prepared me for college more than any other class I have taken. This is because it gave me the soft skills I needed to stand out and excel in my courses. BPA gave me public speaking skills I use during presentations, taught me how to network myself to business professionals, and how to communicate in a professional manner. These skills are highly valuable in the workplace and learning them at such a young age has helped me a lot. I started my business courses in college already knowing what they were talking about and helped me feel a lot more comfortable in my surroundings. Taking BPA was the best high school decision I've made.”
Sam Weaver
BS Marketing, The Ohio State University Head of Testing / QA of Digital Products, Bold Penguin Class of 2011
“BPA gave me tools that benefit my everyday life as well as my professional career. From organizational skills to public speaking, documentation processes, and everything in between. Even without focusing my school studies on business courses, I was better set up for success after finishing my BPA program in 2011. I still make new network connections eight years later thanks to BPA.”
Megan Wiederhold
BS Early Childhood/ Special Education, Wilmington College Teacher, Batavia Elementary Class of 2015
“As a former BPA student graduating soon with degrees in Early Childhood Education and Early Childhood Special Education, I believe BPA is extremely worth taking. I may not have taken the career path of business, but I have used qualities learned in BPA all throughout my college experience. Though you may not plan to graduate with a business degree, you never know the opportunities that may arise or you change in direction. BPA has taught me so much more than just the principles but also the importance of teamwork, community, and leadership. I would recommend this class to all, no matter your plans after your high school career.”
Alex Young
BS Biology – West Virginia University Research & Development, IQVIA RDS, Inc., Boston, MA Class of 2016
“As someone entering the medical field, STEM courses are a crucial part of my education. Having the ability to effectively communicate with people is just as important; I am constantly told stories by professors and advisors about how important the interview process is when it comes to graduate schools and finding jobs. You may look fantastic on paper, but your personality and communication skills are going to set you apart.
The three years I spent in BPA gave me so many opportunities to speak in front of crowds, participate in interviews, and work on my resume. I am so thankful to have had the opportunities I did because I came into college already comfortable with my communication skills and public speaking.”
Dylan Young
Healthcare Specialist - U.S. Army Reserves Cellular Molecular Genetics, Northern Kentucky University Class of 2017
“No matter what career field you enter, one thing remains the same: knowing how to communicate with others is a key aspect of becoming an effective team member. It is far more important than knowing a few extra trivia facts about mitochondria or Pythagoras. Colleges also look for communication skills and community service; which is something unique about BPA, because the class actually helps students get involved and interact with their community.”