Making a dominant statement, 22 Selah High School students are packing their bags as they are headed to the State DECA competition later this spring.  Following participation in the Area DECA competition in January, all 22 Selah students that participated advanced to the State event in March by finishing in the top four of their competition categories.  Students competed against other high school participants ranging from Wenatchee to Sunnyside. 

Earning first place honors in their respective contest events were Izzy Vick and Jacinda Stewart (Entrepreneurship Team), Sadie Smith and Charlee Miller (Travel and Tourism Team), Natalie Keller (Hotel & Lodging), Lauren Thomas (Food Marketing), Evan Fresco (Human Resource Management), and Kevin Huang (Restaurant & Food Management).  Placing second in their contest events and also qualifying for the state event were: Hailey Christianson and Annie Halverson (Hospitality Services Team), Whit Peters and Byanca Villegas (Travel and Tourism Team), and Oscar Jimenez (Hotel & Lodging).  Finishing with third place recognition to advance to the state contest were Abbi Huri and Phoebe Topper (Business Law Team), Mallory Keller and Rosie Pandit (Hospitality Services Team), Erin Ringer and Madi Huri (Sports & Entertainment Team), and Delilah Haller (Apparel & Accessories). Collecting fourth place honors and also advancing to the state event were: Hannah Coats and Mahayla Vickers (Marketing Management Team).  Selah’s DECA Team is advised by teacher, Kasey Benjamin.      

By creating partnerships between business and education, DECA provides hands-on and real-world experiences, which prepare future leaders and entrepreneurs for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality and management opportunities.

Congratulations Selah High School DECA students!  Good luck at State!