A group of fourteen students from Chicago Heights School District 170's STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) Academy earned recognition for their outstanding performances during the Business Professionals of America (BPA) Illinois Leadership Conference that was conducted recently in Oak Brook.
The BPA is a career and technical student organization that aims to develop leadership, academic, and technological skills in the workplace. It is a voluntary, after-school activity, coordinated by Nick Pezzuto, Director of the STEM Academy and Mark Pesavento. The endeavor centers on 15 areas of concentration focusing on individual activities crucial to success in the business world.
The students from SD170 competed in multiple competitive events, with several claiming medals in their respective competitions and securing a place at the upcoming BPA National Leadership Conference in Orlando next May.
Students who competed in Oak Brook and earned the right to participate at the BPA National Leadership Conference (with their event noted) are:
Video Production Team: Mornique Craig, Vanessa Gutierrez, and Adriana Rodriguez
Website Design Team: Gabby Falcioni, Diego Origel, and Humberto Ortiz.
Students who competed at the BPA Illinois Leadership Conference (with their event/s noted) included:
Kiana Ayala (Business Math Concepts); Brandi Byrd (Business Communications/Math Concepts); Stephanie Duran (Business Math Concepts); Marshall Mathers (Business Math Concepts); Jaleah McGee (Business Math Concepts); Arlette Orozco (Business Math Concepts); Crystal Rendon (Business Math Concepts); Jaqwann Scott (Business Math Concepts, Computer Literacy Concepts, Prepared Speech), and Leah Villarreal (Business Math Concepts).
"We congratulate our students on achieving such high honors and on being outstanding representatives of School District 170 in such a series of highly competitive events," Pezzuto said.
"To compete and excel against middle schools from the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and other suburban school districts certainly is deserving of recognition."