Four Mid-State Technical College students earned top rankings at the 2025 Business Professionals of America (BPA) National Leadership Conference held May 7 – 11 in Orlando. 

Students were able to compete at the national event after placing at the Wisconsin BPA State Leadership Conference in February. Mid-State BPA National Leadership Conference results are as follows:

• Michelle Lucek, Marshfield – Business Management student: Placed first in Ethics & Professionalism and fourth in Health Administration Procedures. This was Michelle’s first time competing at the state and national levels. 
• Rhonda Martinson, Wisconsin Rapids – Leadership Development student: Placed third in Basic Office Systems & Procedures. Martinson is the president of Mid-State’s BPA chapter and the Wisconsin BPA secretary state officer. 
• Annika Kildahl, Amherst – Business Management student: Placed sixth in Interview Skills. This was Annika’s first time competing at the state and national levels. 
• Tara Chapman, Tomah – Digital Marketing student: Placed seventh in Human Resource Management and eighth in Presentation Individual. Tara is the vice president of Mid-State’s BPA chapter and the Wisconsin BPA president state officer.

“The national conference is a moment of pride for our BPA students,” said Sharon Behrens, Business Technology instructor and BPA club advisor. “Not only did four Mid-State students place in the top 10 at a national competition, but the Mid-State BPA chapter also won a marketing and communications award as well as a quality chapter distinction award. We’re incredibly proud of these achievements and excited to see how these students will carry these experiences into their future careers.”

BPA’s competitive events give students the opportunity to demonstrate workplace skills learned through business education curricula. The national conference brought together delegates from across the country to vie for top honors in business, finance, technology, marketing and health administration skills competitions; attend leadership and professional development workshops; receive awards for community service activities and elect BPA’s 2025–2026 national student leadership team.

Business Professionals of America (BPA) is the premier Career and Technical Student Organization (CTSO) for middle, high school and college/university students preparing for careers in business and information technology. BPA provides opportunities for growth through education, competitive events, leadership development and community service. The organization has more than 60,000 members in schools across the United States and in Canada, China, Haiti, Puerto Rico, Singapore, South Korea, and United Kingdom. Learn more at http://www.bpa.org/.

To learn more about Mid-State’s business programs, visit mstc.edu/programs.