• Hopewell High DECA students excel at district event
By contributed report
Jan 19, 2012, 06:39
L-R (front row)Jonathan Adkins, Ayanna Ogaldez, Regina Gibson, Kaiya Montanye; (back row) Joshua Jones, Graham Ferguson, TJ Iler, James Lloyd, Morgan Rexrode, Bryanna Tessier. Team members not pictured are: Megan Forren and Warren Gale | contributed photo
Hopewell High School’s DECA program has a tradition of excellence that continued last month as 20 members won awards at the district competition. This year’s district competition was held at Prince George High School in early December. DECA is an international organization fostering leadership in the fields of marketing, finance, hospitality, and management. Students were judged on their ability to think under pressure during a series of tests and roll play exercises.
“It was a big honor to be president of something that has become a living legacy here at Hopewell High,” explained DECA President T.J. Iler.
Iler took home a first-place medal in the Food Marketing category. Along with the other school DECA presidents, he had the opportunity to give out awards at the end of the district event. “It was an honor to be on that stage and get to hear Hopewell High School over and over,” beamed Iler.
“I could not be more proud of these students,” said Marketing Teacher and DECA Advisor Phyllis Slachter. “We just got back into our classroom this year, because of the construction, and it presented some challenges. But the students did not let that stand in their way of really doing an outstanding job.”
Junior Morgan Rexrode, who took home a first-place medal in the Retail Merchandising category, added that it was her first year in DECA. She had just 10 minutes to organize her thoughts and come up with ideas before pitching them to a fictitious boss in her role play. Rexrode’s task was to determine what products should be marketed for a big-box, sporting good stores chain on Black Friday. “It makes you practice thinking on your feet. I had never done it before by myself, but I pulled it off,” Rexrode said.
Senior Jonathan Adkins has had four years of experience with DECA, "and love every minute of it." Adkins took home a first-place medal in Marketing Management. He believes the program has given him skills that he can use outside the classroom. “I think [DECA] has made me a better worker, and I now do better in [job] interviews,” Adkins said.
Graham Ferguson agreed that the school's DECA has brought their best competitive edge to competition. “Hopewell High DECA always brings our A-Game when we compete,” the senior said.
The group shows their awards to prove it. Hopewell High DECA will be traveling to Norfolk for the state competition in early March.
