The Marlborough Regional Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce the presentation of the 2018 Cathy Gregory Mogavero Business Professionals of America Award. The award is an annual award presented to student members of the Business Professionals of America Club from each of the programs at Marlborough High School and Assabet Valley Regional Technical High School. The award is sponsored by the chamber’s scholarship fund through the auspices of the Marlborough Regional Community Foundation.
The idea for the award was first presented to the Foundation Board by President Darren McLaughlin back in the fall of 2013. “For years I have seen the efforts of the students and the advisors of the BPA programs in our local schools who work tirelessly to raise the funds necessary to send deserving students to the national competition. Students earn an invitation to compete at the national level based on their performance at the regional and state levels. I thought that some kind of an award from the Chamber of Commerce, an association of local businesses, made sense. I presented the idea to the Foundation Board and it was well received.”
Susanne Morreale Leeber, President and CEO of the Marlborough Regional Chamber of Commerce said, “This is a perfect opportunity for our chamber of commerce to recognize the business acumen of these fine, young students. The slogan of Business Professionals of America is “Today’s students. Tomorrow’s business professionals”. What more appropriate association of students could we, as a chamber of commerce, acknowledge for their accomplishments?”
There are two financial awards presented to BPA students from each school who will be among their school’s representatives attending the BPA National Conference; one for $500.00 and one for $250.00. Ghislaine Morris, a junior at Assabet Valley, is the recipient of a $500.00 award. She will be competing in Presentation Management Team. Ghislaine’s plans for the future include a Bachelor’s degree in Marine Biology and a Master’s degree in Veterinary Science.
Samantha Medeiros, also a junior at Assabet Valley, is the recipient of a $250.00 award. She will be competing in Advanced Interview Skills and Presentation Management Team. Samantha plans on pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration.
Haylee Braga, a senior at Marlborough High School, is the recipient of a $500.00 award. Haylee will be competing in Advanced Accounting at the conference and plans to major in Business Finance next year at either The Isenberg School of Business at UMASS Amherst or NYU, Shanghai.
Marissa Caissie, also a senior at Marlborough High is the recipient of a $250.00 award. She will be competing in Advanced Accounting, as well as Payroll Accounting. Marissa will be attending Assumption College in the fall as an Accounting Major.
This year’s BPA National Convention is being held in Dallas, Texas from May 9th through 13th. The theme of the conference is “Dream Bigger”. We wish these young business professionals great success in their upcoming competitions.
Cathy Mogavero retired from her position at the Chamber in December of 2013 after fifteen years of dedicated service, just as the applications for the first award were being sent to the schools. The board members of the Marlborough Regional Community Foundation unanimously agreed that the award would be named in her honor.