Hilo High DECA team excels at conference

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Lawe malama o ‘oihana means “taking care of business.”

Lawe malama o ‘oihana means “taking care of business.”

Taking care of business is exactly what Hilo High School DECA team members did Feb. 22-24 during the Career and Technical Student Organization’s 2017 DECA Career Development Conference on Oahu.

After months of testing and rigorous role-play exercises, the 11 members represented their hometown well, receiving several awards and finishing as finalists in several categories.

After role-play presentations in categories including marketing, retail, finance, travel and tourism, and sports and entertainment, students completed 100-question tests with a one-hour time limit on their chosen category.

Top performers were Lucy Ramirez, who won two medals in retail; Stephen Panoff, who medaled in business services; Dennis Palad and Brandon Leasure, finalists in finance; and Elizabeth Atkinson and Sonja Giardina, finalists in travel and tourism. All received Judge’s Choice awards.

Team members credited their success to adviser Sherilyne Len and thank her for her leadership and mentoring.

Founded in 1946, DECA prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality and management in high schools and colleges around the globe. For more information, visit www.deca.org.