Mountain High School’s DECA team participated in the Utah DECA State Conference on February 20, at the Davis Conference Center. Five members of the team advanced to finals in the competition, which concluded on February 21.
MHS senior Natalia Martinez was awarded third place for her Restaurant and Food Management role play and qualified to compete in DECA’s International Career Development Conference (ICDC), which takes place in Orlando, FL on April 26, through April 29. Charles Juarez and Hannah Nielson placed in the top 10 for their Financial Service Management role play.
Additional members of Mountain High’s DECA team include Willow Thompson-Gorman, Emily Parrish, Aaron Garcia Soto, and Jordan Vogel. The team’s advisers are Kayla Kaiser and Gerson Lucas Barreda.
“We are incredibly proud of our DECA students for stepping out of their comfort zones and taking on the challenge of competition,” said Kaiser. “Their dedication, creativity, and willingness to push themselves in a professional setting is truly inspiring.”
Five members of Mountain High’s DECA team will attend ICDC in April and will be accompanied to Orlando by their advisors. Kaiser is excited for the opportunity her students will have to join more than 23,000 students, teacher-advisers, business professional, and alumni from around the world in activities and competitions centered on college and career readiness, leadership, and skill development.
Competition at ICDC is intense, but Kaiser believes her students are up to the task. “No matter the outcome,” she said, “they will gain valuable experience and skills that will serve them well in the future.”