Mariner Middle School Business Professionals of America Students Earn National Awards at 2025 BPA Conference

Two teams of 8th-grade students from Mariner Middle School proudly represented their school and the Cape community at the 2025 Business Professionals of America (BPA) National Leadership Conference, held May 7 – 11 in Orlando, Florida. One student even made school and District history.

2025 Mariner BPA Co-President, Daisy Hughes, made history by securing her 10^th state/national title during this year’s state leadership conference.  After finishing 4^th as part of one of two Administrative Support Teams, Daisy was named 8^th in Word Processing at the 2025 National Leadership Conference.  “No other BPA member in chapter (2017-current) or District (1964-current) history has amassed such success,” said Dr. Daniel Shockley, BPA Advisor and Business Education Teacher. “It will take two more years before this record can be tied and/or broken at the chapter level.”

“This was my first year doing the individual competition at the National level,” said Daisy Hughes. “I competed against about 50 other students from around the world, and finished in 8^th place overall, which I’m very proud of. Winning my 10^th title still feels surreal. It’s something I never imagine when I first joined BPA. I’m honored to represent my school and District and I hope my success encourages and motivates younger students to want to participate in BPA as well.”

The conference, themed “Capture the Moment,” provided students with the opportunity to showcase their skills, engage in leadership development, and network with peers and industry professionals.

Earlier this spring, two teams secured their bid to compete at the National level. The team of Lexi Delcampo, Jude Pressler, Ethan Schirmer, and Sofia Winkfield, competed in the Administrative Support division. Each team was given the task to create a business plan for a “Family Fun Day” event. Team members had to then produce a variety of business materials including a letter, an excel spreadsheet, a logo, and a presentation/poster. “The team competition was really fun and challenging,” said Sofia Winkfield. “The simulation itself lasted about two-hours, and we ran into some obstacles during the logo design and submission process. Fortunately, that didn’t impact us too much, and we were still able to secure a second-place finish.” This was the team’s first time to compete at nationals, as all members were new to Mariner’s BPA program in 2025. This is also the sixth consecutive year that Mariner has had at least one team finish in the Nation’s Top 5.

A second Administrative Support team consisting of Bianca Booth, Linley Draper, Talli Farjon, and Daisy Hughes, competed against the other Mariner team in the multi-team/multi-state administrative support team event and earned a 4^th place finish. This was Bianca and Talli’s first year competing, while Daisy and Linley were part of the reigning 2024 National 1^st Place Administrative Support Team.  At the Delaware State Leadership Conference, this team also placed 2^nd, just behind Jude, Ethan, Sofia and Lexi.

“6,800 students actively participated in this year’s National Leadership Conference, which makes it even more exciting that all the Mariner participants returned with national titles,” continued Dr. Shockley. “Our students demonstrated incredible poise, professionalism, and dedication throughout the entire experience. They worked tirelessly all year to prepare, and we couldn’t be prouder of how they represented Mariner and Cape on the national stage.”

Additional Highlights of the trip also included:

• Attending leadership workshops, keynote sessions, and the awards ceremony
• Spending time at Universal Studios, the resort pool, and Disney World
• Networking and trading pins with students from around the world

“BPA has helped me become more confident and taught me how to be a better leader,” said Ethan Schirmer an 8th-grade participant. “Going to Nationals was an amazing opportunity. I learned so much and made new friends from all over the world.”

About Business Professionals of America
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.