(West Burlington, IA) - Fifteen students from Southeastern Community College’s Computer and Business Clubs earned high honors at the 2025 National Business Professionals of America (BPA) competition held last week in Orlando, Florida.
BPA is the leading career and technical student organization for students pursuing careers in business management, office administration, information technology, accounting, and related fields.
SCC students competed against two and four-year colleges from across the U.S., as well as institutions from Canada and China, in categories such as Meeting and Event Planning, C++ Programming, Advanced College Accounting, and Cybersecurity.
Computer Club members Alex Boysen, Jakin Bunnell, Trevor Kelly, Charles Mutchler, Jalen Walker, and Gabriel White earned dozens of top 10 placements and technical certifications in high-demand IT areas. Five students earned at least one top-three finish.
Jakin Bunnell earned second-place medals in both Device Configuration & Troubleshooting and Information Technology (Open), and third in Project Management (Open). Trevor Kelly placed second in Server Administration Using Microsoft. Jalen Walker earned second in Computer Security and third in C++ Programming, while Gabriel White earned second in C++ Programming and third in Information Technology (Open). Boysen and Mutchler were also recognized as event finalists and each earned several industry-recognized credentials.
SCC network administration and cybersecurity instructor Brenda Wamsley said the students’ hard work paid off.
“I'm incredibly proud of their achievements," Wamsley said. "I'm confident they’ll go far in their careers.”
Business Club members Noelle Rowe, Brian Tiet, Tanner Waddell, Eli Hawley, Kaleb Klein, Macklyn Palmer, Joe Hedgecock, Amber Woodward, Yehor Rozum, and Alix Godwin also had a strong showing.
Noelle Rowe earned first place in Meeting and Event Planning. Brian Tiet and Tanner Waddell each earned second-place finishes, and Waddell also placed third in two additional events. Kaleb Klein and Waddell teamed up to earn third place in the Financial Analyst Team event. Business Club students brought home awards across individual, team, and presentation categories. Several also earned Microsoft Office 2019 certifications during the competition.
In addition, several earned honorable mentions in events like Business Law and Ethics, Project Management Concepts, Banking and Finance, and Digital Communication and Design. A team comprised of Hawley, Palmer, and Tiet earned an honorable mention in Presentation Team.
First-year student Yehor Rozum also made SCC history by becoming the youngest-ever BPA Nationals competitor from the college. Rozum, an international student from Ukraine, recently completed his Level 4 ESL certification.
Business program coordinator Trisha Hopper is proud of the club and is thankful for all of the support over the semester.
“Sincere thanks to the entire campus community for your support in our fundraising efforts, your kind words, and encouragement of these students," Hopper said. "We are quite a team!”
For more information about SCC’s computer program, contact Wamsley at bwamsley@scciowa.edu.
To learn more about the college’s business program, contact Hopper at thopper@scciowa.edu.
SCC Business Club members at the 2025 National Business Professionals of America (BPA) competition in Orlando, Florida.
SCC Computer Club members at the 2025 National Business Professionals of America (BPA) competition in Orlando, Florida.