WRHS DECA cruising along

The White River High School DECA chapter started the year by taking 16 students to Bellevue for the Washington State DECA Fall Leadership Conference Oct. 24-26.

While there, Tanner Blunk, Colton Caldwell, Hannah Cylkowski, Monica Estes, Amedeo Gallucci, Madeline Grimm, Weldon King, Trevor Kurtz, Reagan Ledbetter, Trevor Lystad, Nick Nelson, Tyler Ousley, Ryan Roulier, CJ Schierling, Jessica Tidwell and Jordan Towne participated in many business and marketing seminars and multiple leadership building activities.

Along with the Fall Leadership Conference, eight students traveled to Washington, D.C., Nov. 10-14 to participate in a national leadership conference called “The Ultimate DECA Power Trip.”

Jonah Athey, Caldwell, Grimm, Iwalani Kauhi, Nelson, Tidwell, Towne and Brooke Ulrich participated in seminars, mock role-plays and networking. They also managed to squeeze in some time for sightseeing in the nation’s capital.

Ulrich, a WRHS DECA senior, said the trip to Washington, D.C., was incredible.

“Our bus stopped at every memorial and we were able to get an up close and personal look at everything there was to see,” Ulrich said. Aside from the historical aspects, Ulrich said students were given countless tips and pointers on how to excel in college and leadership, as well as in fields of the business and entrepreneurial world. Professionals from across the country shared their knowledge so we may know how to better help our generation succeed on an even greater scale, she said.

Fundraising, including the Hornet’s Nest, student store, kept costs low for students to attend.

White River DECA Adviser Randy Wilson said both experiences have helped the students grow personally as well as giving them opportunities to interact and learn with marketing students and adults from many diverse cultures and environments.

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