A select group of DECA students have been practicing and preparing to finally compete in state competition. Students participate in different business and marketing event roleplays to put their skills to the test. These students have made it past the judges at area competition and placed high enough to put their knowledge and talents in front of the judges at the state level.
Junior Kaitlyn Johnson is one of those who competed in the DECA state competition. At area competition Kaitlyn Johnson took first place in her event, Marketing Communications.
Johnson spoke about how she enjoyed her area competition despite having the stress of the capital being raided the same day. Johnson also touched on how social media played an impact when comparing area to state competition when she said, “The social pressure definitely wasn’t as much either.”
Seniors Brayden Shinagawa and Evan Denny participated in a team event, Hospitality Services. Shinagawa and Denny took first place in their event and advanced to state competition for the third year in a row.
Shinagawa spoke about how his world and DECA have collided. “I think more recently I have had more customer service based jobs so it’s more like talking to customers and reading situations and identifying the solutions. I think this really helps in terms of the quickness of coming up with ideas right away,” said Shinagawa.
To go along with that, Denny said how DECA has prepared himself for the business world when he said, “I’d almost say that DECA and competition has helped with those jobs with like interviews of just the kind of setting. Having more confidence,” said Denny.
With their knowledge and state competition experience, Shinagawa and Denny took sixth place at the state competition. This allows them to qualify for the DECA National Competition. Brayden Shinagawa and Evan Denny are the only partnership at Lake Stevens High School who qualified for the National DECA competition.