When business teacher Diane Fickel asked her class “Who likes public speaking?” only Layan Ahmed ’25 raised her hand. Little did she know, this was just the beginning of her BPA journey.
“Being a seasoned teacher, I can identify certain strengths in students just by having them in class,” Fickel said. “I had Layan in entrepreneurship class, and I noticed that she was very innovative and very willing to step outside of her comfort zone. We actually really hit it off her freshman year, so I said, ‘Hey, I’ve got this really great club. I think you’d be wonderful in BPA.’ She believed in me [and] gave it a shot.”
After a successful first year of BPA, qualifying for nationals and placing second in the nation for Presentation Management Individual, Ahmed aimed even higher during her sophomore year by applying for West BPA’s Executive Board.
“Through [the executive board], I got the opportunity to run as a state officer, and I became the [Vice President] of Marketing for Iowa,” Ahmed said. “After that, I realized I really wanted to give the ultimate gift back to the organization, so I decided to run for national office.”
Jack Twait ’25, Ahmed’s campaign manager during her run for national presidency, commented on how excited he was to see Ahmed take such a big step in her BPA journey.
“She had originally reached out with the opportunity [to be campaign manager], and I was immediately on board with it because I knew that she’s someone who’s super passionate,” Twait said. “I wanted to help her in any way possible.”
In her junior year, Ahmed spent countless hours preparing her campaign. According to Ahmed, running for National President was a long process of caucusing and interviews. To become a candidate for national office, a student must fill out an extensive application featuring various prompts and questions. After, the student is required to take a rigorous test to quiz them on their BPA knowledge. If the student scores above 70 percent, they are put on a ballot along with 12 other candidates.
After passing the test, Ahmed began advertising her campaign both on social media and in person.
“At Nationals, you give a speech to the entire membership base that votes, and then you also run a little campaign rally,” Ahmed said. “I talked to different voters about who I am, what my vision is and what I think I can contribute to the organization. My slogan was ‘Dream, Drive, Discover,’ and I think that originated [from] the fact that I’m so ambitious and I’m a big dreamer. I feel like in everything you do, it’s so important that people take initiative in their lives. It’s one thing to have a dream about something, but to put in an effort to do it is so much more important than anything else.”
Once she started her campaign, the caucusing process began. Twait notes the lasting impression Ahmed left on the BPA officials.
“Every single state in BPA would have a different room, and usually their state officers or some high-ranking officials would be asking Layan a bunch of random questions,” Twait said. “It was so cool to see how she would immediately have a crazy good answer to some crazy questions I would never have been able to come up with [an] answer to… [It] absolutely blew me away.”
On May 13, the day of the nationwide general election, Ahmed and nine other candidates were selected to move on to the next step of the process. This round of interviews was conducted with the CEO and the Leadership Specialist of BPA and was the deciding factor in Ahmed’s placement — whether she would become National President, Vice President or take on another position.
“That day, when they were announcing the roles, it kept leading up to president, [and] I was like, ‘Okay, it’s all or nothing now. It’s either me or it’s not,’” Ahmed said. “And then my name was said, and it was just a shock.”
After spending hours guiding Ahmed through this journey, Fickel agrees that election day was one of her proudest moments.
“She was the youngest one running, and they [called] her name, and West went wild,” Fickel said. “All of West crowded around her, hugging. It was a special moment, one that she will never forget.”
Although the process was rewarding, Ahmed found that the role of BPA national president is a time-consuming job.
“It’s definitely going to be a busy year as a national officer and a member of the [Executive] Board. I’ve been doing a lot of traveling; I’m going to be in Washington, D.C. for a student leadership summit later this [September],” Ahmed said.
Traveling is just one of the many responsibilities of the BPA national president. One of Ahmed’s biggest duties is overseeing the national team, a group that manages the resources provided to all BPA members. She is also on the Board of Trustees, a group of individuals who make all major decisions for the organization.
“As President, I make sure that our team works to the best of its ability to ensure that members are receiving the programs they need and the guidance they need,” Ahmed said. “I get a say in exactly what happens in BPA, whether that means funding and budgeting, the strategic and long-range planning of the organization, and even finances.”
Although Ahmed has been successful with BPA over the years, there are still obstacles to overcome.
“Advocating for myself and my voice has been a little hard not only at the national level [but at] the state and the local level,” Ahmed said. “Trying to fight for the student perspective has definitely been a challenge. I also think that being in this position from such an underrepresented place, in business and in BPA as a whole, I don’t see a lot of people that look like me. That served as a challenge for me, because it’s hard to step into something when you don’t see anyone like you doing it.”
Even in times of despondency, Ahmed stays motivated by recalling why she loves BPA and why she’s stuck with it for so long.
“There would be points, even during nationals, where I questioned why I was doing it all, but it ultimately led to the realization that the purpose of the organization and everything it stands for resonates so well with who I am. Through being a representative and a member, I’m able to empower people who look like myself to get involved in BPA,” Ahmed said.
Despite the challenging aspects of BPA, Ahmed shares her enthusiasm for the year ahead.
“I’m really excited to be at the forefront of advocating for students, and I plan to use my voice in ways that I haven’t before,” Ahmed said. “[I want] to get student perspectives heard not only in BPA but also in school or in other clubs.”
Outside of BPA, Ahmed finds joy by devoting time to other extracurricular activities such as orchestra and March for Our Lives, a nonprofit organization focused on gun violence prevention. She believes BPA has helped her grow in both business and her personal life. In the future, Ahmed wants to run her own practice in the medical field or medical policy.
“BPA gave me the confidence to want to explore bigger things and be ambitious within the business and advocacy fields,” Ahmed said. “BPA has really taught me that if you put your mind to it, you can do anything.”
Aside from Ahmed’s impact on BPA at West and across the nation, she’s also left a lasting personal connection with her peers and teachers.
“[Layan] is a shining star in my life. She’s like a daughter to me, and we believe in each other [and] we trust each other,” Fickel said. “She comes in for advice all the time, and I admire her so much. I would do anything for Layan.”
Twait agrees, believing that because of Ahmed’s supportive nature, she has positively impacted his BPA journey.
“When she has a vision for something, she really goes for it and she gets it,” Twait said. “She’s someone who’s super well-spoken and can connect a group of people, and I think that’s really special.”
Ahmed would never have begun her BPA journey if she hadn’t taken a risk and stepped outside of her comfort zone. She encourages others to accomplish their goals, no matter how unreachable they may seem in the beginning.
“Fight your fears and do it. You are always going to regret not doing something, but you’re never going to regret just going for it and being ambitious,” Ahmed said. “If you’re passionate enough about something, you can do it, because at the end of the day, everything comes down to passion — finding the drive to want to do these things — and striving for success.”
