Hartselle High School (HHS) won first place in three categories at the Alabama Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) State Career Development Conference Feb. 20. Fourteen HHS students competed in various business and marketing events. Sophomore Lyndsey Crouch placed first in the individual series Apparel & Accessories marketing competition. She was presented with a problem for a fake business and given 10 minutes to produce a solution. She had to study for a test and prepare for the actual event. Sophomores Sarah Chandler, Maggie Guyse, and Eli Terry placed first for the second year in a row in Integrated Marketing Campaign- Product. The team created a marketing plan for Supercell Shelters. Seniors Walker Young, Jacob McDonald, and Evan Bowling placed first in Integrated Marketing Campaign- Event. They highlighted and described marketing strategies of the Redstone Federal Credit Union branch at HHS.
All the HHS teams spent many hours writing, creating, and reviewing their powerpoints and papers. This preparation and learning equips students with vital lifelong skills. Both Chandler and Terry enjoy competing and displaying to the judges all of their hard work. Chandler said, “I love learning about what goes into marketing a product or hosting events to advertise the product.” The students’ use of real companies allows them to learn the real-world application of marketing. Crouch explained, “It gives you real life experience and it helps to prepare you for a career in marketing.” It transforms their knowledge from the classroom to future careers.
The DECA experience also amplifies students’ desire to participate. The DECA competitions combine skill and real-world application with competitiveness. Of course, it also helps when the teams continue to win. Crouch encourages anyone with an interest in business and who is willing to spend time preparing to compete. She said, “DECA has a large variety of competitions to compete in, so there’s something for everyone.” The HHS DECA teams will be attending DECA Nationals in Nashville, TN, April 29 - May 2.
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