Cheboygan DECA earns state qualification after success in Saginaw

Karly Graham, Cheboygan Daily Tribune
·2 min read

CHEBOYGAN — After a 5 a.m. wakeup call in their finest suits, the Cheboygan DECA team saw great success at a recent district competition at Saginaw Valley State University, earning medals and state qualifications.

Students in the Cheboygan DECA program traveled to Saginaw Valley State University to compete in a competition on Dec. 14. The students took online exams before doing a role play with a judge at the competition. Of the 23 students that competed, 14 qualified for the state competition, which is scheduled for March 13-16 in Detroit. Two additional seniors will also be attending states as a part of a team competition.

The team took home a total of 30 medals.

The Cheboygan DECA team poses for a photo.
The Cheboygan DECA team poses for a photo.

Any student enrolled in the marketing education program in Cheboygan is able to participate in DECA, said Brent Richard, the program teacher.

Having the opportunity to let kids hear live critiques from business professionals helps give them a step up on other students when it's time to enter the workforce or apply to colleges, he said.

"It's great because they're building their communication skills, their interviewing skills, and their business problem-solving skills, and they get feedback from the businessperson rather than just me," Richard said. "So these kids are way ahead of other students who don't participate because they've been through how to dress professionally, think on their feet, and basically have to go through and look at business concepts in the real world."

The Cheboygan DECA team poses for a photo at the district competition at Saginaw Valley State University.
The Cheboygan DECA team poses for a photo at the district competition at Saginaw Valley State University.

Dylan Balazovic, Ava Bury, Avery Crawford, Colton Cunningham, Jaxon Dann, Caleigh Easter, Robert Godfrey, Maxum Huber, Ella Kosanke, Olevia Liebenow, Brooke Maltby, Addison Ptasnik, Libby VanFleet and Hannah Whippo all qualified for states.

Four students — Dann, Huber, Kosanke and Ptasnik — left the competition with three medals, earning awards in the online exam, role play portion and qualifying for states.

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Richard started DECA at the school in 1997, he said, and has taken over 1,000 students to the district competition, 400 to states and 70 to nationals.

"Some of these kids I've taken to nationals — they've never been on a plane before," he said. "So it's kind of fun to be able to travel with them outside of the classroom."

The group also works to fundraise for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, with a fundraiser coming up in February.

— Contact reporter Karly Graham at kgraham@petoskeynews.com. Follow her on Twitter at @KarlyGrahamJRN.

This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Cheboygan DECA earns state qualification after success in Saginaw