North Idaho College students fared well at the state Business Professionals of America competition held recently in Boise.

Seven NIC students earned top placement and qualified to compete in the national BPA competition. They're now trying to raise funds so they can afford to attend the event May 1-3 in Indianapolis.

BPA is a national organization for high-school and college students preparing for careers in business and technical fields.

"NIC students shined again competing against four-year colleges and universities in Idaho," said Philippe Valle, NIC graphic design instructor and BPA adviser. "The level of excellence they demonstrate year after year is being noticed."

Award recipients who qualified for the national leadership conference and competition in Indianapolis, May 1-3, include:

Darcy Gross, Hayden, first place in Graphic Design Promotion, first place in Desktop Publishing and first place in Presentation Management Team.

Josh Straub, Coeur d'Alene, second place in Graphic Design Promotion and third place in Web Design Team.

Jon Hayenga, Coeur d'Alene, third place in Graphic Design Promotion, third place in Desktop Publishing, and third place in Web Design Team.

Claire Hylton-Staats, Post Falls, first place in Interview skills, third place in Web Design Team, fourth place in Fundamentals of Web Design.

Hannah Shields, Rathdrum, first place in Presentation Management Team and fifth in Desktop Publishing; previously served as BPA Idaho state officer.

Sydney Sales, Coeur d'Alene, first place in Presentation Management Team, fourth place in Graphic Design Promotion, and fourth place in Desktop Publishing.

Jacob Braun, Coeur d'Alene, fourth place in PC Servicing and Troubleshooting. Braun was elected to be a BPA Idaho state officer. He will serve for 2014-2015 academic year.

The students are currently raising the money necessary to fund their trip to the national competition.

"In the past few years, different members of the NIC BPA Chapter have demonstrated excellence by showcasing the direct relationship between their academic and technical skills, preparing them well for future careers in business. Their leadership and extracurricular activities within the community highlight their strong commitment to serve others" Valle said.

"The students are very excited about competing at nationals and all hope to attend if finances allow. Donations of any type would be greatly appreciated."

For sponsorship or donation information, contact Philippe Valle at (208) 769-3276, pfvalle@nic.edu.