DECA students have taken on the 2018 DECA districts competition.

DECA is an organization that is used to prepare students for future careers and real-world business experience.
This year, 44 students attended the DECA Districts, and 15 students qualified for DECA States.

“I’m hoping for top of the district and top of the state this year for DECA,” principal Thomas Lietz said.
DECA districts took place on Saturday, Jan. 12 at Lake Orion High School.

“This year, you could tell that this group [of students] was hardworking,” DECA adviser Dana Boice said, “and that they wanted to win by working hard.”

The students who take part in DECA meet during classes.

DECA is used to promote marketing skills by using competition and other activities and is open to all students who are enrolled in a Marketing class or a school store course.

The students who qualified for states this year include Jillian Jezak & Ian Wasilewski, Haily Hough & Patrick Capo, Emily Kramer & David Potter, Shane Lutz & Lauryn Holmes, Elizabeth Antony & Hannah Piasecki, Marco Caporuscio & Cooper Douchette, Eddie Yago, Paulina Martinez-Hernandez, and Michelle Nabozny.

“My favorite part about this year was making it to states,” junior Paulina Martinez-Hernandez said. “I expected to qualify and I’m happy about it; I worked really hard for it.”

“My favorite part about DECA this year was getting to meet so many new people and learning about working in business,” junior David Potter said. “I actually did not expect to qualify; I was really surprised and really happy about it.”

Seniors Jacob Joseph and Kendall Avis will also advance to the national level in the School Based Enterprise category.