Kenton High School BPA Students Excel at State Leadership Conference, Set Sights on Nationals

The 2025 Business Professionals of America (BPA) State Leadership Conference, held March 10-11 at the Columbus Convention Center, was a resounding success for the students of Kenton High School. Eleven students traveled to compete in various events, showcasing months of preparation and dedication. With over 10,000 students competing across Ohio, Kenton’s competitors demonstrated exceptional skill in events such as Fundamental Spreadsheets, Medical Coding, Entrepreneurship, Global Marketing, and Computer Animation.

On Tuesday, anticipation filled the air as Kenton’s students entered the awards ceremony, eager to see the results of their hard work. Adding to the excitement, Kenton’s own Aubrey Hattery was selected to deliver the opening TED Talk-style speech. Speaking to an audience of over 3,000, she encouraged students to create a plan to achieve their goals, using her personal journey of overcoming a fear of public speaking as an example. Her words resonated with students who, like her, had set ambitious goals for themselves.

The awards ceremony quickly turned in Kenton’s favor:

• Anden Goldsmith earned a Top 10 medal in the Entrepreneurship competition.
• Kiersten Burton placed 8th overall in the Medical Coding test event, securing her place at the BPA National Leadership Conference in Orlando, Florida.
• The Computer Animation team—comprised of Jaycob Francis, Kelton Spearman, Ben Dilts, and Cameron Jesionowski—placed 2nd overall, earning a spot at nationals.
• The Global Marketing team, featuring Hadis Jumakhonov, Carter Cannode, Anna Coon, and founding member Kate Jakesova, clinched 1st place, proving their excellence in a highly competitive field.

Reflecting on the moment, Mr. Wes Goldsmith remarked, “Watching these students receive accolades for their hard work was exhilarating—it felt like witnessing a buzzer-beater in a state championship basketball game.”

Kenton will send nine competitors and six chapter officers to the BPA National Leadership Conference in Orlando, Florida, from May 6-12. Mr. Zac Goldsmith praised the students’ perseverance, saying, “Their willingness to take on challenging tasks and see them through to success is inspiring. These students are proving that dedication and resilience lead to great achievements.”

The Kenton BPA chapter extends a heartfelt thank you to its community sponsors, including WKTN, Quest Federal Credit Union, Rogers Insurance, Golden Giant, Buckeye Machine, Newland-Heydinger, Insurance, Robinson Fin, and Pleasant Precision Inc. (PPI). Their support, both financially and through encouragement, has been instrumental in helping students develop skills that will benefit both their futures and the local community.

Release is from Kenton BPA.