Fraser High School attended DECA regionals on Saturday, January 11. 52 Fraser students attended the regional event, and 36 students have advanced on to states. They covered a diverse range of topics both individually and working in pairs.
DECA stands for Distributive Education Clubs of America. According to DECA Inc., “DECA prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality and management in high schools and colleges around the globe” (DECA Inc). The club allows students to make nation-wide connections and further their business skills to help them succeed post-graduation.
Fraser High School junior Claire Diggan gives a reflection on DECA regionals.
“It’s a fun experience, you get to meet a lot of people from other schools. We also got to talk to them about their topics and learn from that.”
Another student, Samir Qayed, shared why he joined DECA.
“I joined DECA for the experience and to be able to socialize with other people. I’ve learned important life skills like public speaking and connection building. My friends and I kind of joined as a joke but we ended up having fun.”
Fraser junior Malori Noll participated in the Financial Services Team Decision Making event. She shared her perspective on this event.
“I chose this event because I want to pursue a career in this area. I also know it looks good for colleges to build credibility.”
She also shared the process of the physical competition.
“After arrival and an opening ceremony, we were sent to a holding room until our preparation time began. During prep time, my partner and I had 30 minutes to receive our scenario and prepare our presentation. After this time period, we were sent to the judges room where they gave us 15 minutes to present. My partner and I were roleplaying as financial advisors, so we did our best to go in-depth on each key point. We received a judges choice medal for our roleplay, and we moved onto States. The State competition is March 5-7, and if we advance from there, the international competition is April 27-29 in Atlanta, Georgia.”
Noll reports that she is glad she joined DECA and is grateful for the connections she has made through the organization.
Along with Diggan, Qayed, and Noll, there are 33 other students who can be recognized for making it to States.
The list is as follows:
Aneko Nichol, Personal Financial Literacy
Alex Dubay, Apparel and Accessories Marketing Series
Allison Moco, Restaurant and Food Service Management Series
Ayana Mason, Human Resource Management Series
Casey Lusk, Principles of Marketing
Elliana Laity & Hailey Beauchamp, Marketing Management Team Decision-Making
Frank Ventimiglia & Mukund Penumathsa, Marketing Management Team Decision-Making
Hannah Zunno & Isabella Salem, Hospitality Services Team Decision-Making
Isabella Merritt & Sophia Sabaugh, Hospitality Services Team Decision-Making
Joshua Day, Entrepreneurship Series
Jackson Thorngate, Sports and Entertainment Marketing Series
Leah Domenicucci, Principles of Hospitality and Tourism
Lauren Krajewski & Kaia Kronemeyer, Sports & Entertainment Marketing Team Decision-Making
Mikayla Irby & Charles Caldwell, Financial Services Team Decision-Making
Mariah Shields & Paige Brown, Travel and Tourism Team Decision-Making
Oliver Skalski, Personal Financial Literacy
Paityn Gallo, Human Resource Management Series
Sean Cartmel, Food Marketing Series
Savannah Miodowski & Claire Diggan, Business Law & Ethics Team Decision-Making
Scarlett Gervasone & Carolanne Hammer, Business Law & Ethics Team Decision-Making
Samir Qayed & Marcus Gutow, Entrepreneurship Team Decision-Making
Samuel Argiri & Malori Noll, Financial Services Team Decision-Making
Thomas Mina, Accounting Application Series
Tyler Tucker & Connor Wilson, Entrepreneurship Team Decision-Making
These students have been working hard and will continue to do so in order to advance past States. It is safe to say Fraser DECA is a growing program, and their efforts do not go unnoticed.
