Chicago Heights School District 170 STEM Students Excel at BPA Nationals in CA

A group of students from Chicago Heights School District 170’s STEM (Science Technology Engineering Math) Academy took part in the Business Professionals of America (BPA) National Leadership Conference that was held at the Convention Center in Anaheim, California in early May.

Each of the students representing District 170 placed in the top 10 in their respective events.

The opportunity to compete in the national event was underwritten by a $15,000 donation from Flying Food Servair JFK, LLC/Flying Food Servair San Francisco, LLC.

“Without the generous support of the Flying Food Servair companies our students would not have had the opportunity to participate in this amazing educational opportunity,” said School District 170 Superintendent Tom Amadio. “Servair’s generosity permitted our students to compete, and excel, in an event that very well may change the course of their lives.”

The students who competed at the BPA National Leadership Conference (with their home school and event noted) were:

Sergio Gonzalez (Greenbriar) Financial Literacy

Myah Lloyd (Grant) Graphic Design

Alan Enriquez (Roosevelt) Prepared Speech

Joseline Castaneda (Washington) Video Production Team

Kaylyn Gunn (Washington) Video Production Team

Anna Jones (Kennedy) Video Production Team

Estela Guzman (Roosevelt) Video Production Team

Zac Lueder (Greenbriar) Video Production Team

Edgar Herrera (Greenbriar) Video Production Team

Maurice Jenkins (Kennedy) Website Design Team

Phil Evans (Kennedy) Website Design Team.

The students earned the trip to the national competition by excelling at the BPA’s Illinois Leadership Conference, and by earning honors at a series of competitive events, including a regional meet held late in 2014.

The BPA is a career and technical student organization that aims to develop leadership, academic and technological skills. It is a voluntary, after school activity, sponsored by Nick Pezzuto, Director of the STEM Academy. The activity centers on 15 areas of concentration focusing on individual activities crucial to success in the business world.

“Our students are to be congratulated on achieving such high honors in a series of highly competitive events. To compete against more than 40 different schools in Illinois, and against schools at the national level, and to earn such accolades is most worthy of recognition,” Pezzuto said.