On January 11, 60 Mount Si High School students participated in the Area DECA Competition at Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue.  They were among over 1,000 high school students at the event, competing against area schools from Issaquah, Sammamish and Bellevue.  DECA is an international organization that prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs, in high school and college, in the career areas of marketing, finance, hospitality and management.

Mount Si sophomores Ava Brodie and Makenna Lau (pictured below) placed 5th in their category, Marketing Management Team Decision Making, which earned them an invitation to the State DECA Competition in March. In addition, MSHS will be able to take three first-year DECA members (still to be determined) to experience the state competition.

Several other MSHS students were finalists and earned medals, by finishing in the top eight for their categories. Medal winners shown below in included: Quinn McQuay, Banner Hovinga, Parker Wutheric, Ashley Gothelf, Makenna Lau, Ava Brodie, Sam Thompson and Oliver Lang.

DECA’s industry-validated competitive events are aligned with the National Curriculum Standards in the career clusters of marketing, business management and administration, finance, and hospitality and tourism.  DECA’s flagship evaluation process involves student in both a written component such as an exam or report, and an interactive component with an industry professional serving as a judge.  DECA’s competitive events help prepare students to be for college and career ready when they graduate from high school.

 Makenna Lau and Ava Brodie will advance to state in Marketing Management Team Decision Making.

Mount Si DECA students, who finished in the top 8 of their categories and earned medals,

pose with DECA Advisor Kelly Hawkins (in back).

Freshmen Thane Law, Alec Ingebo and Jackson Green look dapper while enjoy the awards ceremony.