Hilo High School DECA students garnered state honors at the Hawaii DECA Career Development Conference from Feb. 24-26 at the Hawaii Convention Center in Honolulu.
Kenneth Kitahata collected first place in Marketing Management, along with first place in the exam and Judges’ Choice medallions for two role-play events.
The team of Lopaka O’Connor and Jack Petrison placed first in Financial Services and earned a Judges’ Choice medallion for their role-play event. O’Connor also took first in the exam.
Mayuko Yoshida and Liza Saludares placed third in Travel and Tourism; Kai Garson-Shumway picked up two Judges’ Choice medallions for his role-play events; and Lucy Ramirez earned a Judges’ Choice medallion.
Also representing Hilo High were Devon Paulson, Elijah Tomas, Dustin DeReis, Fiona Supan, Emily Kerr, Stephen Panoff, Dennis Palad and Meynard Ballesteros.
DECA Club advisers Sherilyne Len and Patrick Jenkins, and volunteer coach Kolby Proctor accompanied the students.
DECA is an international business organization that prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality and management. Competition for top rankings at the two-day statewide event was fierce, with more than 200 Hawaii DECA students from 12 chapters in attendance.
Performance is based on two assessments: a business role-play event and written exam; combined scores qualify students for overall recognition.
Kitahata, O’Connor, Petrison, Yoshida and Saludares will now compete at the DECA International Career Development Conference from April 23-26 in Nashville, Tenn.
Hilo High DECA is fundraising for the trip and reaching out for support from the public to cover travel expenses.
To make a donation, contact Len at 313-5589 or email slen@viking.k12.hi.us. Visit the Hilo High School DECA Facebook page for photos and more information.
