Student Council. Student Ambassadors. NHS. ROAR. Student of the Month. Senior Valeria Ballines is no stranger to student involvement. Her most powerful involvement? Being in the Business Professionals of America (BPA) club, a male-dominated field, while overcoming language barriers.
What is BPA? BPA prepares students for professional skills, especially public speaking, presenting, and networking. Students can compete in business-related tests, presentations, computer programming, video production, data spreadsheets, and even some healthcare-related topics. Competitions progress from regionals to state to nationals.
“Outside of the competing, in the actual club, we do a few things,” Ballines said. “For example, we just did our Breakfast with the Chamber. They just come and talk about entrepreneurship. A bunch of people who are in the club obviously want to go into business, right? And like, the business field is very competitive, so it’s a lot of like, networking to start now.”
Being successful in BPA is no easy feat. Public speaking is crucial, and Ballines shared that she used to lack confidence in her abilities because English is her second language.
“Like even entering and just saying ‘Hi’ got me nervous, and I stutter[ed] a lot,” Ballines said. “Well, now it’s better, but when I was younger, I stuttered a lot with English. I remember during the (BPA) presentation, I kept on stuttering. I was like, ‘They can, for sure, tell’ because you could definitely tell that I was not as good at public speaking as [my teammates.] I felt like I was weighing the team down at that time.”
Additionally, business is a male-dominated industry, and that includes BPA’s demographics. During her freshman year, BPA’s female student population consisted of her and now fellow senior Julia Koput. Now, four years later, there are many more women.
“At the beginning of BPA, she was sort of shy and timid presenting to judges against teams that were mostly male, but now she speaks with confidence because she realized that she is capable of doing well in any event she chooses,” Koput said.
Not only did Valeria thrive as a woman in a male-dominated field, but she also inspired other women at WEGO to join. Her mentor and former BPA sponsor, Mia Wirth, agrees.
“Valeria combined several of her strengths, like compassion and collaboration, while also projecting confidence that she can compete and lead in the same manner as the males in business,” Wirth said via email. “Valeria is flexible, constantly learning, and doesn’t let anything or anyone get in her way. Her determination to excel in a male-dominated field is contagious to all the young ladies in the organization.”
Her heritage also affects her ambition. Traditionally, Mexican households have at least one son. A son is the one to continue the family legacy, honor, and family business. The Ballines family has four daughters. However, the oldest sister has completed her bachelor’s and master’s degrees, showing that the lack of a son does not hinder their work ethic or achievement. In fact, all of Ballines’ three older sisters are pursuing secondary education.
Additionally, being born in an immigrant household, hard work and grit are very important within her family, so they prioritize education and careers over getting married young and starting a family in their 20s, unlike some traditional Mexican families.
“So every single time we go to a family party or anything, I kind of don’t like it, because my parents are always the ones that sit down. One, because there’s no guy, and then two, because we prioritize education over starting a family, which is not very common,” Ballines said.
Ballines plans to study biomedical engineering with a focus on medical imaging. She is also considering a double major in Spanish.
“I already have my Seal of Biliteracy,” Ballines said. “Recently, I just asked a college admissions [coach] what would happen if I wanted to double major in Spanish? Because that’s something I’m looking forward to. Spanish is very low in the medical field right now. And he said, ‘If you have your Seal of Biliteracy saying you took both APs, there are very few courses you have to take, because it’s basically equal to what a double major would be in Spanish.’”
With undiagnosed asthma during her childhood, normal tasks became difficult. Even laughing was an asthma trigger. Now, she has been diagnosed and equipped with an inhaler and is a two-sport varsity athlete, participating in badminton and cross-country.
“Valeria has an extremely strong work ethic,” varsity badminton coach Emily Brown said. “From her first day on the badminton team, she has always strived to improve and has made great gains both in her physical skills and strategy on the badminton court.”
As Ballines wraps up her high school career, she leaves lasting legacies in BPA, badminton, and her other extracurriculars. Her leadership and perseverance have left a lasting impact on her school community.
“Valeria has held an officer position all four years during her time in BPA,” Wirth said. “Freshman, sophomore, and junior years, she was the local chapter secretary, and currently, in her senior year, she is the local chapter social media coordinator.”
She has grown as a leader and competitor throughout her time in BPA, competing on the regional and state level for 4 years, and is currently preparing to compete at the regional level in January.
Valeria’s leadership and determination have taken a 10-member organization in her freshman year to 40+ members in her senior year,” Wirth said. “Valeria, along with her team, has grown BPA and will leave a legacy to be proud of.”