Several members of Grayson County High School DECA are advancing to national competition after a strong finish at the organization’s state conference.
Twelve students qualified to compete at the International Career Development Conference in Orlando, Florida, next month, the school district said.
The individual and team successes at state come on the heels of solid performances at regional competition in January where Daniel Ratley was elected Region 2 President and Piper Mangan was elected VP of Communications. Mangan was also elected to serve as Kentucky DECA VP of Finance.
Amelia Hayes was chosen Kentucky’s Outstanding DECA Member, and Tate Cain designed a t-shirt that was selected as the state shirt for all of Kentucky DECA.
Region results
Regional results included individual first place winners: Maggie Shepherd, Apparel & Accessories Marketing; Landon Lowrey, Automotive Services Marketing; Houston Brooks, Business Finance; Brack Allen, Principles of Entrepreneurship; Piper Mangan, Hospitality & Tourism Professional Selling; Daniel Ratley, Community Awareness Project.
Region team event first place winners were: Tate Cain, Amelia Hayes & Raylee Shepherd, Financial Literacy Project; William Johnston & Connor Lee, Business Law & Ethics; and Sophia Butler and Lillian Lowrey, Buying and Merchandising
Region team event second place winners were: Alyssa and Alisabeth Merrifield, Start-Up Business Plan; Brody Glutting, Entrepreneurship Series; Miles Mudd, Principles of Finance; Layla Lacefield and Jillian Pierce, Community Giving Project.
Region team event third place winners were: Zachary Pierce, Hotel and Lodging Management; Carter Bernard, Sports and Entertainment Marketing; Alaina Mudd and Jadia Plant, Travel and Tourism Marketing; Heaven Basham and Riley Swanberg, Hospitality Services.
Justin Gray and Brody Lambert took fifth place in the Sports and Entertainment Marketing Team event.
State competition results
William Johnston and Connor Lee took first place in Business Law & Ethics.
In second place were Maggie Shepherd, Apparel & Accessories Marketing; Piper Mangan, Hospitality & Tourism Professional Selling; Tate Cain, Amelia Hayes and Raylee Shepherd, Financial Literacy Project; and Layla Lacefield and Jillian Pierce, Community Giving Project. Houston Brooks took 3rd Place in Business Finance.
Landon Lowrey came in fifth place in Automotive Services Marketing; Daniel Ratley won sixth place for Community Awareness Project, and Brack Allen came in eighth in Principles of Entrepreneurship.
Zachary Pierce was an Event Finalist in the Hotel and Lodging Management event.
Also earning a slot at state competition were Carter Bernard, Sports and Entertainment Marketing; Alaina Mudd and Jadia Plant; Travel and Tourism Marketing; Heaven Basham and Riley Swanberg, Hospitality Services; Sophia Butler and Lillian Lowrey, Buying and Merchandising; Alyssa and Alisabeth Merrifield, Start-Up Business Plan; and Brody Glutting, Entrepreneurship Series.
The top three state finishers qualify for DECA’s International Career Development Conference competition. In addition, Brack Allen and Brody Glutting will represent GCHS DECA at the leadership focused Thrive Academy at nationals.
(Photo: GCHS DECA, courtesy of Grayson Co. Schools)
By Ken Howlett, News Director and Grayson Co. Schools
