Mariner Middle BPA students earn state awards

Students from Mariner Middle School showcased their talents Feb. 5 at the annual middle-level Delaware Business Professionals of America State Leadership Conference, where they also brought home several top honors. 

About 600 middle-level students from across Delaware gathered in Dover to demonstrate their excellence in business, leadership and technology-related fields. For the seventh consecutive year, Mariner dominated the administrative support team event, securing both first and second place out of 28 teams. 

The first-place administrative support team included Lexi Delcampo, Jude Presler, Ethan Schirmer and Sophia Winkfield. The second-place team included Bianca Booth, Linley Draper, Talli Farjon and Daisy Hughes. Students participating in this team category were provided a task, and, as a team of four, had to produce a variety of business documents including a letter, an Excel spreadsheet, a logo and a presentation of the information.

“The task that we were judged on was a business plan for a pickleball tournament,” said Presler. “So, as a team, one person wrote a letter to get people to participate, the spreadsheet was put together to show the costs, a logo was created for the tournament, and then the flyer had all the information needed to promote the tournament.” 

Teams were judged on a variety of competencies, including their ability to apply technical skills to manage information and produce business documents, delegate responsibilities, demonstrate teamwork, format their work according to the style and reference manual, the use of the various software, their established work priorities and timelines, and their ability to proofread and edit their work for themselves and their teammates.

“Even though we were each responsible for a different part of the task, we were still able to work together and collaborate on the task, including the logo design and how it was implemented into the presentation,” said Hughes. 

In addition to the top team awards, Hughes and Delcampo also competed in the individual word processing event. Hughes earned a third-place finish, securing her eighth state/national award. This award also made her both Mariner Middle School’s and Cape Henlopen School District’s all-time most awarded BPA member. Delcampo took home eighth place. Draper and Farjon competed individually in the graphic design category, taking fourth and sixth place, respectively, against 17 other students. Winkfield, who is new to the BPA program, prepared and delivered a well-developed speech on the impact of tariffs. Her thorough research and commanding presence earned her a seventh-place finish out of 31 students. 

Lastly, seventh-grade students Fiona Fisher, Maddie Hill and Alison Swift worked together as a team, using their combined knowledge of the Spanish language and culture, to create and present a travel package to Spain. Out of 27 competitors in the category, the Mariner team finished in seventh place. 

“I am incredibly proud of the students,” said Daniel Shockley, BPA advisor and Mariner business teacher. “Their hard work, dedication and professionalism really stood out at the state level. These achievements are a testament to their passion for business and leadership. I’m looking forward to seeing them compete at the national level later this spring.”

Attention now turns to the 2025 Business Professionals of America National Leadership Conference. Both administrative support teams, as well as Hughes, have guaranteed invitations to join Team Delaware in Orlando, Fla., May 7-11. At that time, students from across the United States, as well as other countries, will gather to compete in various business-related events, participate in leadership training and network with other members. In addition to the competitive aspects, the conference also serves as a gathering for students to celebrate their achievements, meet industry professionals and develop skills that will be valuable in their future careers. This event is the highlight of the BPA season. 

“To add to this year's excitement, Daisy and Linley will be returning to NLC as defending members of the 2024 National No. 1 BPA Administrative Support Team,” Shockley said. “We’re looking forward to seeing our students continue to excel as they represent our school with pride at the next level.”

The BPA program prepares students for careers in business, finance, marketing and information technology, while fostering personal growth and leadership through academic competitions and community involvement.