Barnum girls shocked with national title

The video is amazing. The reaction from Barnum High School sophomores Kate Ferrin and Ava Gran tells you all you need to know about how big a deal it was to find out last weekend that they are national champions.

"We got first in nationals," Gran breathlessly says in an exhilarating reaction recorded online as news came May 8 that the team's national Business Professionals of America (BPA) project was deemed the best in the country.

Days later, Gran was still in a daze. "It's crazy. It's mind-blowing," she said. Ferrin said the "shock" was still settling in.

The two competed in the Small Business Management Team category and, while they were pleased to make it to the national stage, their seven-month project was deemed the third best in the state judging round after a first in the regional round. It was enough to get to nationals, but hopes of further success seemed dim.

"We were glad to get to nationals but thought we were done after state," Gran admitted.

But Ferrin said the two "felt good" after submitting a video for the national judges at what has been virtual, online competitions among teams.

The national BPA competition was held across two weeks with the results livestreamed Saturday night. Business Professionals of America is a career and technical education extracurricular organization in which students can participate and compete in business-related events.

Barnum has placed students in the nationals in each of the four years it has had a program, advisor business teacher and program founder Kelly Bonitz said. "This is the first time we've had this kind of success."

Seven months ago, Ferrin and Gran were presented with a fictitious case study of a small business that is struggling or has a problem to overcome. "They are given limited information and guidance to help them find a solution," Bonitz said. "After extensive research, they prepared a 10-minute presentation of their suggested solutions to the business."

A woman with a photography business is searching for a way to spend less time at work while still keeping a growing business. It was up to Gran and Ferrin to find her a pathway. They made the scenario personal, giving "Katie Jones" a background story - two dogs, two kids, a husband, a love of the outdoors - and that attention to detail likely made a difference, Bontitz said. They even made a faux social media page for "Katie" with pictures. All of it was on display in their presentation.

Ferrin said the two developed three goals for the fictional business: hiring some help, establishing a better pricing system, and increasing exposure for the business on social media. They also got advice from Barnum teachers, who told them about some key elements when examining prospects for a successful business: its strengths, opportunities, and threats.

They competed with a prepared video on May 4 for the first round and found out they had placed in the top 12. "Beyond excited with making the top 12," Bonitz said, they prepped some more and presented to a live judge through a video call on May 6. "They then anxiously awaited the final results as the awards ceremony was broadcast live through an interactive video on Saturday night."

That all sounds matter-of-fact until you dig into what really went on in one 24-hour span for the sophomores. Gran found out they placed in the top 12 and tried to reach her partner that night to no avail. Ferrin would find out the next day, just hours before the live presentation. Oh yeah, they also had to take their Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment science tests that day.

Gran said the breakneck pace of that Thursday may have been an advantage in preparing for a live judge who asked lots of questions about their project. "There was so little time," Gran said. "I think the more time you have to prepare the more you freak out."

Ferrin said the ability to finally interact with a judge helped. They were prepared for questions because they had built up so much detail about the business and their solutions, she said. "We were able to quickly answer anything that was asked."

No word yet on whether the team will receive what is usually a rather large trophy, Bonitz said. The nationals were scheduled to be in Orlando this spring, so they missed out on that trip because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Gran said the pressure will be on in the next two years to match the current success. The goal, of course, is to get to nationals again, and this time actually travel. That stage will be set in Dallas next year.

"It's a blessing and a curse," Gran said with a laugh. BPA students try to gain some spotlight in a school dominated by athletics, she said. She hopes BPA will grow to be an even more respected part of Barnum community and school pride.

Wrenshall High School's Lexi Swanson also qualified for the national competition.

Bonitz said her national champions have had an experience "that will be with them the rest of their lives," in memories and common sense business knowledge. "The level of real-world knowledge is something they'll always have."

Along with bragging rights after a national title. And that video.