Staff reports
Students from Artesia High School’s Business Professionals of America (BPA) chapter were among the nearly 7,000 attendees representing nearly 800 school chapters who attended the 2025 BPA National Leadership Conference in Orlando, Florida, May 7-11.
While in Orlando, students vied for top honors in BPA’s Workplace Skill Assessment Program competitions, which cover the areas of business administration; digital communication and design; finance; health administration; information technology; and management, marketing and communication. Conference participants also attended leadership development workshops, received awards for community service activities, and elected BPA’s 2025–2026 national student leadership team.
The students from the Artesia High School BPA chapter who attended the National Leadership Conference were:
● Korinne Morrison – 2nd Place Fundamental Spreadsheet Applications and Top Ten in Database Applications
● Halle Harris – 3rd Place Integrated Office Applications, MOS Office PowerPoint Certification Champion, and Administrative Support Team (11th Place)
● Jazmin Acosta – Administrative Support Team (11th Place)
● Charles Moreau – Administrative Support Team (11th Place) and Basic Office Systems
● Karli Horner – Fundamental Accounting
● Brent McIntire – Payroll Accounting
● Morgan Love – Economic Research Individual
● Brianna Guzman – Advanced Word Processing
● Zachary Sedillos – Integrated Office Applications and Administrative Support Team
● Nabil Flores – Administrative Support Team
● Emily Soto – Integrated Office and Administrative Support Team
● Aubrey Chavarria – Administrative Support Team
● Sophie Elsing – Basic Office Systems
● Marcos Ornelas – Fundamental Spreadsheet and Small Business Management Team
● Eden Barrera – Database Applications and Small Business Management Team
● Johanna Padilla – Small Business Management Team
● Briss Ruiz – Prepared Speech and Graphic Design Promotion
● Kiley Colby – Digital Media Production
● Makayala Ashdown – Ethics & Professionalism and Interview Skills
● MyKaila Garcia – Fundamental Desktop Publishing
“The National Leadership Conference is a milestone moment for our student members and advisors, representing a year of dedication, growth, and achievement,” said Devin Alexander, BPA’s interim executive director. “This event is more than just competitions—it’s about developing leadership skills, earning industry certifications, and celebrating the hard work that sets our members up for future success.”
While in Orlando, participants also had opportunities to network with other BPA members and business leaders, visit famous attractions in the region, and participate in several community service activities honoring the Special Olympics, BPA’s national service project.
The 2025 National Leadership Conference was presented by Certiport, a Pearson VUE business, the leading provider of certification exam development, delivery and program management services.
BPA’s 2026 National Leadership Conference will be held in Nashville, Tennessee, from May 6 to 10, 2026.
About Business Professionals of America
Founded in 1966, Business Professionals of America (BPA) is the premier Career and Technical Student Organization (CTSO) for middle, high school, and college students preparing for careers in business, finance, information technology, and related fields. BPA provides members with opportunities for growth through competition, leadership and personal development, and community service. The organization has more than 62,000 members in nearly 1,500 chapters across the United States and in Canada, China, Haiti, Puerto Rico, Singapore, South Korea, and the United Kingdom. Learn more at www.bpa.org.