Students from Davenport University’s Business Professionals of America (BPA) chapter are showing the nation who’s boss. They recently returned from the 2026 Business Professionals of America National Leadership Conference with an impressive list of wins, including 10 first-place finishes, 35 Top 10 national placements and 14 industry-recognized certifications.

The conference, held in Nashville, Tennessee, brought together nearly 7,000 conference attendees and more than 5,000 competitors from across the country to compete in business, technology, leadership and professional skills events. The competitors also participated in workshops, networking opportunities, community service activities and certification testing.

Standout performers included:

• Skyla Giang, who won national titles in Intermediate Word Processing, Legal Office Procedures and as part of Davenport’s first-place Administrative Support Team. 
• Sarah Wolfe, who won first-place in Integrated Office Applications, Fundamental Spreadsheet Applications and as part of Davenport’s first-place Administrative Support Team.
• Alexander Aguilera also brought home a national championship in Presentation Individual, finishing first in both preliminaries and finals and as part of Davenport’s first-place Administrative Support Team. 
• Iman Hammad, who was a members of Davenport’s first-place Administrative Support Team.

Administrative Support Team

“These accomplishments reflect the talent, preparation and professionalism our students bring to every opportunity,” said Randi Kowalczk, Davenport University BPA chapter advisor. “BPA gives students a chance to apply what they are learning in the classroom in a competitive, career-focused environment. Seeing them succeed on a national stage is incredibly rewarding.”

According to Kowalczk, Davenport’s national success in Nashville reflects the strength of its students, faculty and career-focused academic programs, as well as the university’s continued commitment to preparing graduates for success. 

Digital marketing and promotion major Alexander Aguilera found the experience to be extremely positive. “Traveling to Nashville to compete against students from other colleges and universities from across the United States was amazing,” said Aguilera. “ Conducting research, presenting and collaborating with other BPA members during competition has been so valuable, as has networking with people from Davenport’s BPA chapter and others from Texas, Maryland and Ohio.” 

Aguilera said being a member of Davenport’s BPA will positively impact his job search. “Overall, I have benefited greatly from BPA, earning certifications in professional writing, data analytics and small business/entrepreneurship. Those achievements, combined with my first-place finishes at the national conference, will help set me apart from other job candidates,” he said.

Business Professionals of America is the premier Career and Technical Student Organization for middle school, high school and college/university students preparing for careers in business and information technology. It provides opportunities for growth through education, competitive events, leadership development and community service.