Four Seniors Qualify for Orlando Finals as Program Continues Impressive Growth
In a remarkable display of business and presentation skills, four Chagrin Falls High School seniors have qualified for the Business Professionals of America (BPA) National Competition after placing third in the state for their Small Business Management Team presentation.
Xander Burnight, Jack Medhurst, Tommy Mooney, and Charlie Pollock will represent Chagrin Falls at the BPA Nationals in Orlando, Florida on May 7-11, marking another milestone in the school's rapidly growing BPA program.
The qualification came during the BPA State Competition held Tuesday, March 7 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center, where eight Chagrin Falls students competed across various categories.
"This achievement reflects the tremendous growth of our BPA chapter," said business teacher John Bakalar. "In just three years, we've gone from sending one student to the State Competition in 2022 to seven in 2023, and now eight this year with four advancing to Nationals."
Several other Chagrin Falls students delivered impressive performances at the state level:
Zach Flaiz secured 6th place in the Health Care Presentation category
Durham Freese earned 8th place in Extemporaneous Speech
Renner Matta achieved 12th place in Personal Financial Management
The school community is rallying behind the four seniors as they prepare for the national spotlight in Orlando, where they'll compete against top BPA teams from across the country.