Davenport University in Grand Rapids, MI hosted the Business Professionals of America (BPA) collegiate State Leadership Conference (SLC) Saturday, February 7, 2026, and it was a very exciting evening for the Bay College/LSSU Regional Center Business Professionals of America (BPA) student club. Fourteen students made the trip to Grand Rapids to compete in their respective events. All 14 members finished in the top three places of their events, qualifying each of them to compete at the National Leadership Conference to be held in Nashville, TN, on May 6-10, 2026.
Leading the way was Gabriel Viau, BPA Club President, earning a first place in Contemporary Issues, second place in both Management, Marketing and Human Resources Concepts and Project Management Concepts, and third place in Administrative Support Concepts.
Gracelyn Wiles, BPA Club Vice President, took second in Interview Skills.
Landon “Marcy” Dugree, BPA Club Secretary, took first in Digital Communication & Design Concepts.
Haylee Gatien, BPA Club Treasurer, took second in Human Resource Management and third in Entrepreneurship.
Jake Poquette took second place in Prepared Speech.
Hunter Robinson took first in Advanced Interview Skills.
Riley Rebholz took first in Health Administration Concepts.
Haylee Gordon received second place for her performance in Financial Math & Analysis Concepts and a third-place finish in Health Administration Concepts.
Matthew Keast placed first in Prepared Speech.
Finally, all four of our teams earned first in their respective events:
Financial Analyst Team: Connor Howes, Nicholas Chaillier, and Andrew Lord
Small Business Management Team: Hunter Robinson and Jake Poquette
Podcast Team: Payton Saari and Riley Rebholz
Video Production Team: Marcy Dugree, Wyatt Groleau, and Matthew Keast
Haylee Gatien had this to say about this years’ experience, “This trip was truly memorable, not just for me, but for everyone who attended. With 14 of us sitting in the crowd and cheering each other on, it felt like we could do anything. Watching in anticipation as each event’s top finishers were called was something I don’t think any of us will forget. Seeing all 14 of us finish top three in our respective events was truly so amazing and I was filled with so much joy and pride as I saw everyone standing before me. I know how hard each one of us worked for those places, and seeing our hard work pay off meant something words can’t explain.”
If you have questions or would like to help sponsor the Bay College student club’s travel to National competition, contact Haylee Gatien at haylee.gatien@baycollege.edu or (906)295-1769 or Gabriel Viau at gabe.viau@baycollege.edu or (906)280-8348.
About BPA
Officially formed in 1966 as the Office Education Association (OEA), Business Professionals of America (BPA) has a strong history as a student organization that contributes to the preparation of global professionals through the advancement of leadership, citizenship, academic and technological skills for students at the Middle, Secondary and Post-secondary levels.
For the past 50-years, BPA has worked to serve as an innovator in Career and Technical Education, providing its members with opportunities for growth through education, competition, community service and personal development. Learn more about BPA at https://bpa.org/.
About Bay College
Bay College is the community’s college with a mission of: Student Success, Community Success, and Culture of Success. Bay is devoted to each individual’s achievement in the classroom, on-campus, online, in the community and into the workforce by providing career certificates, associate degrees, transferable university credits, industry certifications, trainings, and professional development programs which develop skillsets, enrich individuals, and advance careers. #BayIsTheWay