Meridian Technology Center had 15 students take the top prize at the recent Business Professionals of America (BPA) State Leadership Conference.

BPA is CareerTech Student Organization (CTSO) that full-time adult and high school students attending Meridian can join. CTSOs are related to a student’s field of study and they provide students with an opportunity to gain leadership skills and compete in skills contests at the state and national levels.

First place winners include Ernest Harden, Tryon; Guthrie students Skylar Wright and Devin Alcantara; Perkins students Gabriel Belford and Emma Bjune; and Stillwater students Aiden Darlton, Dillon Henry, Jacob Ford, Noah Shannon, Eli Medvedeva, Megan Ameigh, Anthony DeArmond, Jocelyn Meridith, Haylie Williamson and Linda Gross.

Henry also received the BPA Merit Scholar Award. This award recognizes individual members and advisors for their knowledge of BPA. The award encourages members and advisors to learn as much as possible about the organization’s history, traditions, programs and activities. Henry is the outgoing Oklahoma BPA Vice President. He will receive a BPA Merit Scholar pin during the awards ceremony at the National Leadership Conference.

In addition to students who earned first place, nine students earned second place and 11 won third place. Eligible first-place winners will advance to the National Leadership Conference, May 4-8 in Dallas, Texas, where they will compete against other state winners.

Students enrolled in Business Technology, Digital Media, Health Informatics and Information Technology are eligible to join BPA. Meridian pays the membership fee for students to join their CTSO. The Meridian BPA chapter has 146 members and seven instructors who serve as advisors.