Spring 2017 Volume 1, Issue 3
SILVER BOW COUNTY TBID
Helena State Officer team at the capitol building in Helena, Montana before giving a presentation on BPA to Lieutenant Governor, Mike Cooney.
4 By: Kaitlyn Weinheimer The state officer team is proud to announce our first ever Montana Special Olympics Walk. Like at the National Conference, this walk will help raise money for our partner, the Special Olympics. The walk will be held on Monday, March 13th after all the workshops are completed. The Special Olympics Walk will begin at the Red Lion Hotel at 1:00 p.m. and will continue on a designated path to a park. After the walk is finished, there will be a Special Olympics Rally done BPA style. This will give student the opportunity to talk to participating athletes about Special Olympics. The rally will end at 3:00 p.m. If your advisor didn t have a chance to register you for the walk prior to February 6th, you can register on Sunday, March 12th. The fee will be seven dollars per student. After you register for the walk you will receive a bracelet either in your packet or at the registration desk. This bracelet must be worn to the walk in order to participate. The money will then be donated to the Special Olympics Montana Foundation along with our Chain of Love monies. Don t forget your walking shoes, so we can all help support the Special Olympics.
5 By: Victoria Cybulski Your State Leadership conference has always had workshops for the enjoyment and personal benefit of its members. This year is no different in that aspect, but we are offering some different workshops this time around to freshen things up and widen everyone s horizons. Ryan Moran, our guest speaker for state, will give the first workshop on Monday morning and his presentation will go hand in hand with what he talks about in the Opening Session on Sunday night. We are also lucky enough to have Drew Mammel, our National Secondary President from Billings, giving a workshop and sharing his extensive knowledge of leadership with everyone. Your state officers are also putting together various workshops for everyone to enjoy. Becca Gerard and Victoria Cybulski are running a leadership workshop to improve leadership skills by engaging attendees in activities that put their skills to the test. Kelli Ober and Kaitlyn Weinheimer are presenting the famous dance workshop that everyone loves. Get your dance on with Kaitlyn and Becca and prepare yourself for the dance on Monday night. Jacob Linfesty and Johren Carpenter are adding a different activity to the lineup by giving a workshop on traffic safety with special guest, Officer Idhe, from the Billings Police Department. State is coming up fast and we hope that everyone is excited about the workshops and different activities planned. It is almost time to discover the boundless opportunities that await you at the 2017 State Leadership Conference!
6 Billings By: Jacob Linfesty So you re coming to the city! It may not be Orlando, Florida, but Billings does have a lot to offer during your stay. For food, we recently just had a Five Guys and a Popeyes open up on the West End, which is very close to the conference center (and probably also to where your hotel is), but my favorite restaurant in Billings is Olive Garden! For entertainment, besides going to the mall, I d recommend the Get Air Trampoline Park in town, catching a movie at either of our theaters, or challenging yourself to the Grand Escape Room! If you do want to do the Grand Escape Room, be sure to make reservations as soon as possible, but keep in mind that only ten at a time can enjoy this activity per room. If you can t think of anything to do, sometimes your best option may be meeting some new BPA members from across the state! Stay safe and have fun!
7 By: Johren Carpenter This year, our Montana State Leadership Conference is getting a makeover! Instead of competitions taking place at the City College, this year we will be at Montana State University-Billings. Also, although we will be passing out a few programs with information on workshops, schedules, maps, information on our keynote speaker, etc., we want all members with cell phones to download the app https://m.twoppy.com/ MTBPA/ to have the information normally gained through those booklets, just on their cell phones. This will save us a lot of paper and will make it easier for our membership to stay informed. Every year, Montana BPA members and advisors work hard to raise money for Special Olympics, and this year, to celebrate, we will have a walk at the State Leadership Conference with members of the Special Olympics Program. There are more details in the article by Kaitlyn Weinheimer, your Communications Director. So many new and exciting things are planned this year and the state officer team looks forward to making this Montana s best conference yet!
8 By: Kelli Ober For this year s National Leadership Conference held Orlando, Florida Montana Business Professionals of America members will have the opportunity to experience a place unlike anything in Montana- Daytona Beach. On Wednesday, May 10th the Montana BPA event will (hopefully) be held at Daytona Beach. Although the finalization of all the details is still in progress, the plan is to take a trip to Daytona Beach and enjoy lunch at the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company restaurant. Attendees will get a break from good ole Montana steak and potatoes and be able to enjoy sea food right on the coast. Members can soak in the Florida sunshine, spend time on the Atlantic s sandy beaches, and experience the history and entertainment provided by the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company restaurant. The Montana BPA event is a great way for members to meet new people and socialize with other members from all over the state. It is bound to be a fun, exciting afternoon for all members that attend. As we continue to finalize the details of the trip, please be watching for further information about the exact departure time, return time, and price. Also, make sure to check the National Leadership Conference schedule in the NLC Pre- Conference Publication, as some competitive events and meetings are planned for the afternoon on the same day as the event. The Montana event will be one of the many unforgettable experiences at NLC, I encourage all those that can go to sign up and see for themselves!
9 Not only is Orlando, Florida home to Walt Disney World and Universal Studios, there are many fun and exciting things to see and do during BPA Nationals with your chapter. If you want to see the underwater world come to life, then visiting Seaworld Orlando is a place you should plan to go. There you can walk through exhibits like the dolphin nursery, turtle trek, and the shark encounter exhibit. You can also go watch the killer whale and dolphin shows during the day. Another great place to walk around with your chapter is International Drive. On this road there are so many great places to eat as well and shop to get souvenirs. There is also the largest McDonald s Playplaces on this street! Florida is also By: Becca Gerard home to the everglades so don't miss out on seeing all the gators. You can go see the Central Florida Everglades on a 4- hour airboat tour and alligator encounter. I hope everyone enjoys nationals in Orlando, Florida and Spread Your Wings by enhancing your leadership skills. Orlando
10 Wow - it s already February! I can remember painstakingly putting together poster boards and baking a cake at about this time last year, and it was definitely worth it. Being a Montana BPA State Officer has been wonderful for me, because through this position you all have given me the opportunity to give back to an organization that has helped me so much. It hasn t been easy working with five girls on the team, but we ve made some awesome memories together! I look forward to the State Conference Serving as your State Vice President this past year has been such a blessing. Being only a junior this year, I plan on running again for state office to serve during my senior year. After my senior year, I want to pursue a career in physical therapy. My favorite part about being a state officer is meeting with all the members, visiting the Region 4 members, and lastly meeting everyone at Fall Leadership Conference. Throughout this year, I have had amazing opportunities to create new friendships and find which we ve worked very hard towards, and I hope I ll be able to meet as many of you as possible! -Jacob Linfesty President new ideas for my own chapter and to share with others. -Becca Gerard Vice President Wow, what a great year it's been with Montana BPA! I ve really enjoyed serving as your State Secretary this past year! My favorite part about being a state officer is that I am able to work with members from all over the state and meet tons of new people. I have so many great memories from this year and previous years, but my favorite one is when I got the opportunity to attend the National Leadership Conference in California my freshman year. My tentative plan for the future is to attend college for business, however I m not quite sure where at yet. I m sad the year is already over, but ready to see what the future holds! -Kelli Ober Secretary
11 I can t believe my time serving as your Montana State Membership Director is about to come to an end. After this chapter of my life is over, I plan to attend Seattle Pacific University in the fall and I m keeping my options open for what I want to spend the rest of my life doing. My favorite part about being a state officer has been the friendships I ve gotten to make and the invaluable connection with some of the best and brightest minds across our state. I will miss all the fun times and unforgettable memories. My favorite BPA memory has been getting to travel all across the country, from California to Boston, with all of my close friends. -Johren Carpenter Membership Director I can t believe how fast this year has gone by! Being a state officer has been a privilege and my favorite thing about being in this position is being able to have a leadership role that is bigger than myself, while having fun and meeting new people. My favorite memory of BPA (so far) is the campaign rally at state last year. It was amazing to meet with everyone and see the love for BPA that so many members have. My plans for the future are to attend college for English and play volleyball. Eventually, I want to work at a magazine or newspaper as a writer. I can t thank you all enough for giving me the opportunity to be a leader in this organization. -Victoria Cybulski Public Relations Director I would like to thank you all for allowing me to serve you this past year as your State Communications Director. Next year I plan to attend MSU Bozeman to major in Cell Biology and Neuroscience while taking the pre-med track. I hope to one day become an obstetrician/ gynecologist or a pediatrician. My favorite part of being a State Officer is meeting members from across the state of Montana and having the opportunity to expand my leadership abilities. My most memorable experience in BPA was going to the National Leadership Conference in Boston, Massachusetts. I loved exploring the city, meeting new people, and creating memories that will last me a lifetime. Business Professionals of America has truly been a wonderful endeavor. -Kaitlyn Weinheimer Communications Director
12 Contact Information BPA State Director Lisa Parker Montana BPA 3045 Jonathon Court Billings, MT 59102 406-371-5792 (home) 406-579-3697 (cell) lparkermtbpa@gmail.com Jacob Linfesty State President Billings West High linfestyj@gmail.com State Officer Coordinator Nicole Bogunovich Billings West High School 2201 St. Johns Avenue Billings, MT 59102 406-281-5600 (home) 406-670-7749 (cell) bogunovichn@billingsschools.org Kelli Ober Secretary Cascade High School kelliober13@gmail.com BPA Executive Secretary Anza Ketterman Montana BPA 310 11th Avenue East Polson, MT. 59860 406-883-5959 (home) 406-871-1715 (cell) kettanza@isu.edu Victoria Cybulski Public Relations Director Custer Public School tcybulski@custerschools.org Rebecca Gerard Vice President Cascade High School gerardbecca@gmail.com Johren Carpenter Membership Director Sidney High School johrenc@gmail.com Kaitlyn Weinheimer Communications Director Moore High School Kaitlyn.weinmeimer@moore.k12.mt.us Open Road, Boundless Opportunities