MINERAL COUNTY – One Mineral County competitive team just returned from Anaheim, CA last week having demonstrated their business acumen at the Business Professionals of America National Convention.

Upon their return last week, the team members gathered in front of the St. Regis School Board to reveal their results for the ones who competed and for others, it was an opportunity to tell about their experience.

And while for the ones competing it was all business, the team did take some time to take in the sites around Southern California.

St. Regis BPA sponsor Chad Eichenlaub said the thought the experience was a rewarding one for the students.

Eichenlaub said the six BPA members who went on the trip constituted the biggest group of students he had ever taken.

“Last year, we only took two,” Eichenlaub said. “It was amazing. It was a good experience for the kids all around. Our chapter received some national recognition.”

Because of the group’s work with Special Olympics, the chapter was bestowed with the BPA Cares Award.

The chapter has raised money for Special Olympics in the past. Eichenlaub said there were two students competing at the national level, Cheyenne Lewis and Gibson Lowry.

He said both students showed remarkable poise when faced with some of the strongest competition in the country.

“She (Cheyenne) took second at the national level in advanced office systems and procedures,” Eichenlaub said. “In order for students to even get to the national level, they have already competed at several competitions. She was going up against some of the best and brightest kids in the country. The students were really excited for the trip.”

BPA is one of the largest organizations in the country dedicated  to teaching young people about business practices.