WEST BURLINGTON, Iowa - Eight students from Southeastern Community College’s Computer Club and two students from the college’s Business Club earned national recognition at the 2026 Business Professionals of America (BPA) National Leadership Conference held last week in Nashville, Tennessee.
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 United States, Canada, China, and Japan in categories such as C++ Programming, Computer Security, Java Programming, Business Law and Ethics, and Website Design Team.
Computer Club members Rynders Mahavong, Thad Maxwell, Tony Menke, Alexis Muldoon, Kessler Towne, Wesley Takahashi, Leandro Romagnoli, and Natalyn Blakeman earned 10 top-three finishes and a combined 20 industry certifications during the competition. Every SCC Computer Club student who attended earned finalist recognition or higher in at least one event.
Thad Maxwell earned first place in C++ Programming. Mahavong earned second-place finishes in both Java Programming and Website Design Team. Romagnoli earned second in Computer Security and Linux OS Fundamentals, along with third in Project Management (Open). Menke earned third in Computer Network Technology, while Towne earned third in Device Configuration and Troubleshooting. Takahashi earned second in Parliamentary Procedures (Open), and Blakeman joined Mahavong and Maxwell on the second-place Website Design Team.
Students also earned certifications in cybersecurity, networking, cloud computing, Microsoft technologies, and professional communication through organizations including Cisco, Microsoft, and Certiport.
SCC network administration and cybersecurity instructor Brenda Wamsley said the students represented the college well on the national stage.
“I’m incredibly proud of what these students accomplished,” Wamsley said. “They worked hard all year preparing for nationals, and it showed. It’s exciting to see our first-year students already making plans and setting goals for next year’s competition.”
Business Club members Yehor Rozum and Eli Hawley also represented SCC at the national competition.
Rozum earned an honorable mention in Business Law and Ethics. Hawley earned Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft PowerPoint certifications during the event.
Business program coordinator Trisha Hopper said the students’ commitment went far beyond competition day.
“These students dedicated countless hours to studying, fundraising, practicing, and building professional skills throughout the year,” Hopper said. “We’re proud of how they represented SCC and supported one another throughout the experience.”
Next year’s BPA National Leadership Conference will be held in Denver, Colorado.
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.