State Officer Screening:  A Candidate’s Perspective

Sara Dunsmore, Ohio Association Historian

When I began preparing for the State officer screening, I was extremely overwhelmed and excited.  I had a ton of packets, names, rules, and places I had to memorize…and on top of that, a speech to write! 

My instructor and I set a list of goals to accomplish each week.  As the weeks passed by, I learned more about BPA than I ever imagined.  I wrote my speech on the colors in the BPA logo and what each color means to our organization.  By writing on something I already knew about, I was able to memorize my speech a lot faster.

When we finally made the trip to Columbus, I was extremely nervous, but confident.  I knew I was going to do well on the test and my speech, but I was worried about the interview.  Not knowing what questions would be asked made me extremely nervous. 

The first question I was asked was, “Who is your hero.”  That was a “no brainer.”  It is my dad.  The second question was a different story.  It was about the torch awards, but I did not understand how the question was delivered.  So the interviewer worded the question differently.  The question was, “What are the most important torches to me.”  I had to say, “love, hope, and faith.”  You can lose everything; but if you have love, hope, and faith, you are richer than ever.

The truth is, faith is what helped me through the screening.  I had faith that the interviewers would choose the best twelve candidates to move ahead.  If I was not one of them, then it wasn’t meant to be.  But I would go home knowing that I gave 100 percent.

I left Columbus that day with a great sense of satisfaction.  I knew that I had done the best I could.  I did not know it at the time, but the State Officer Screening was a day that would completely change my life.  I became an officer candidate and was elected as the Ohio Association Historian.  As a state officer, I have had opportunities that I could never have imagined.