Neff College of Business and Innovation Hosts Business Professionals of America
February 1, 2022 | John B. and Lillian E. Neff College of Business and Innovation News
By Jeffrey Vernon
The John B. and Lillian E. Neff College of Business and Innovation recently hosted the Business Professionals of America (BPA) Region 6 Leadership Conference on Jan. 19, 2022.
The conference’s competitive events brought twelve high schools and 987 registered students from the region to UToledo’s Lancelot Thompson Student Union.
Business Professionals of America is the premier Career and Technical Student Organization for students pursuing careers in business management, information technology, finance, office administration, health administration and other related career fields.
During the event, BPA students had a taste of the college experience – spending their day in the Student Union, traveling from room to room for their competitive events and having lunch in the Union’s Eatery dining hall.
UToledo faculty were involved in the conference, acting as judges for various competitive events. Several departments and organizations on campus were also present, showcasing their offerings to students in a career-fair type set-up in the Auditorium.
Students participated in various open, written, and judged competitive events during the conference. Some competitions included desktop publishing, interview skills, computer network technology, digital communication and design concepts, and fundamental accounting. All topics stemmed from content learned during high school business courses.
“We are so thankful for the John B. and Lillian E. Neff College of Business and Innovation, as well as for the University for graciously hosting our event the past four years,” said Andrea Martin, Regional Events Coordinator & BPA CEAC Representative. “For many of our students, not only is this their first experience in preparing and presenting their findings to a panel of judges, but also getting the opportunity to visit a college campus and learn about all of the fantastic opportunities post-secondary institutions offer firsthand.”
Students who placed in the top-ranking positions of their competition categories will move on to the State Competition in Columbus, OH on March 10-11, 2022.
“We were thrilled to host this year’s BPA Conference. It was great seeing these students put their knowledge to practice, participating in competitive events that they were passionate about,” said Jeffrey Vernon, interim coordinator for enrollment management in the Neff College of Business and Innovation. “From the moment they walked onto campus, they were prepared and ready to showcase their skills.”