Making History, East High Ninth Graders Advance to BPA State Competition

February 25, 2026 -- Doors opened at Columbus Downtown High School, and upperclassmen filled the hallway in pressed suits and polished shoes. Carrying clipboards, three East High School freshmen moved confidently toward competition rooms, pausing for a moment before stepping in. This was the moment they’d prepared for all year.

“When we got there, there were so many people who were way older than us,” said Analiz Ortega-Lopez, a freshman at East High School. “We were just getting nervous.”

The Business Professionals of America (BPA) Regional Competition in late January brought together hundreds of student competitors from across Central Ohio. Students gathered to showcase their leadership, public speaking and career-readiness skills in front of judges and business professionals. The event filled the venue with polished presentations, formal attire, and high expectations. For many participants, it marked months of preparation culminating in a single performance.

Among them stood three ninth grader students from East High School. Makayla-Nevaeh J. Doumas, Nathaniel W. Garcia Walters and Analiz T. Ortega Lopez, who were the first freshmen in East’s school history to reach this level. They had spent months preparing, yet preparation did not erase the reality of walking into a room filled with students who were older and more experienced.

“On the outside, I was all confident,” Garcia Walters said. “But on the inside, I was like, no, I probably can’t do this.”

At the podium, he stumbled during his prepared speech and felt the mistake land like a ton of bricks. Instead of stopping or stuttering, he pushed through.

“I still felt good about myself,” Garcia Walters said. “I kept on going.”

That moment of choosing to continue, even when the odds felt stacked against him, mirrors the journey that brought him there. East High School teacher Lorrie Poindexter began preparing her students long before regional competition day. Students delivered professional speeches, completed mock interviews, and even practiced standing, projecting their voices, and responding under pressure.

Poindexter partnered with the Columbus City Schools Office of Communications to strengthen students’ speech delivery. Corporate and community partners, including Columbus Recreation and Parks Department, I Am My Brother’s Keeper, Nationwide Insurance, and the Columbus Division of Police, conducted mock interviews, giving students the opportunity to practice with professionals they were meeting for the first time.

“They had to prepare with complete strangers,” Poindexter said. “We worked on tone. We worked on resumes. We worked on how to carry ourselves.”

The hard work paid off. Doumas placed first in Prepared Speech, Garcia Walters placed second in Prepared Speech, and Ortega-Lopez placed second in Human Resource Management.

All three students advanced to the BPA State Leadership Conference on Feb. 23-24.

“I feel like it’s an honor to represent East High School,” Doumas said. “Not everybody’s doing this.”

Ortega Lopez sees being able to compete in the State Competition as proof of what is possible, regardless of your age. 

“I feel really grateful that as a freshman, I’m able to get all these opportunities,” she said. “I didn’t even think I was going to make it to state.”

Now, as they prepare for state competition, they carry more than awards. They carry the confidence built in classrooms, in mock interviews, and in a hallway where they once felt outnumbered.

This time, when they walk in, they will know they belong.

About BPA: 

BPA is a national career and technical student organization for middle school, high school, and college students preparing for careers in business, finance, marketing, information technology, and management.

Students compete in events ranging from prepared speech and human resource management to accounting, entrepreneurship, and digital communications. Competitions begin at the regional level and advance to state and national conferences.

Beyond competition, BPA focuses on leadership development, workplace skills, and professional networking. Students practice interviewing, public speaking, and business writing while connecting with industry professionals who reflect real workforce expectations.