Students Excel at 2026 Idaho Business Professionals of America State Leadership Conference

Published: March 27, 2026

Students from Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµÍø (CWI) demonstrated exceptional professionalism and technical expertise at the (BPA) State Leadership Conference in Boise on March 12 – 14. Competing against peers from two-year colleges and four-year universities across the state, CWI students earned top finishes in multiple events and showcased the strength of the college’s Career and Technical Education programs.

Four CWI BPA students participated in this year’s conference, and each earned top-five placements across several competitions. Their performance qualified them to represent CWI at the BPA National Leadership Conference in Nashville later this year.

Students competed in events designed to reflect real-world business and IT challenges, including programming, networking, cybersecurity, database management, and digital communications.

Competition Results

C# Programming

  • Gold — Matthias Barnes 

Computer Network Technology

  • Gold — Andrew Toombs
  • Silver — Adriana Huarancca 

Computer Programming Concepts (Open)

  • Gold — Matthias Barnes 

Computer Security

  • Gold — Samuel McKinley
  • Silver — Adriana Huarancca 

Digital Communications and Design (Open)

  • Gold — Matthias Barnes 

Information Technology Concepts (Open)

  • Gold — Matthias Barnes 

Intermediate Word Processing

  • Gold — Andrew Toombs 

Linux Operating System Fundamentals

  • Gold — Samuel McKinley 

Network Administration Using Cisco

  • Gold — Samuel McKinley 

Python Programming

  • Gold — Matthias Barnes 

SQL Database Fundamentals

  • Gold — Matthias Barnes
  • Silver — Adriana Huarancca 

Device Configuration and Troubleshooting

  • Silver — Andrew Toombs 

With these strong performances, all four students are eligible to compete at the in Nashville on May 6 – 10, where they will represent CWI alongside top student talent from across the country.

is a national Career Technical Student Organization that helps students build leadership, workplace readiness, and technical skills beyond the classroom. At CWI, the BPA chapter is advised by Assistant Professor of Network Administration, Seth Akers.

For more information on BPA or to get involved, contact Akers at sethakers@cwi.edu.

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