Camas DECA shines at recent competition

Camas High School will once again have strong representation at the state DECA contest in March.

DECA, a business and marketing club, had 125 students compete at an area competition in Longview. Of those, 72 qualified for state by winning awards.

Each student chose a particular marketing event where they competed in two event-specific role plays and one marketing based test. These scores were tallied at the end of the day where awards were distributed.

Overall, CHS had 79 different students win awards, ranging from first- to sixth-place in each sub-category and 60 overall category medal recipients. Those who received medals in the overall category qualified for the State Career Development Conference and will compete Thursday through Saturday, March 8-10 in Bellevue, Wash.

Two of these students are Ben Hagen and Brandon Vega.

Hagen, a senior, has participated in DECA all four years of high school.

“I was excited to qualify for state but it is a step for me on the way to internationals in Salt Lake City.”

Hagen worked with Vega, a junior, on a written presentation about an international business plan. He also qualified in an oral presentation about team decision making in sports and entertainment.

Vega double qualified with the written business plan and an oral presentation about human resource management. He is also hoping to qualify for the international competition, and has participated in DECA since his freshman year.

“I like the community of our chapter,” he said. “I enjoy the professionalism and it’s really about different experiences.”

Hagen and Vega are both hoping to be among the top five finishers at the international competition.

“You have to get comfortable being put into a new situation,” Vega said. “A lot of it is just thinking on your feet.”

David Johnson is the team mentor.

Last year, DECA sent 44 students to state and 18 to the international competition in Orlando, Fla. This year, those who place in the top six overall in each category at state will move on to the international competition at the end of April.

The following students have qualified for state competition: Nolan Gilmour, Perry Truong, Amanda Tennyson, Marc Crinon, Curtis Little, Macon Sumpter, Dylan Jones, Aksa Manzer, Derek Hood, Jacob Scott, Alistair Graham, Aaron McMahan, Matt Rose, Jasmyne Samuels, Madison Berkeley, Ben Hagen, Scott Feather, Keaton King, Wyatt Brown, Mikayla Lindstrom, Ollie Stanchfield, Kailey Burris, Jake Hsu, Kyla Sumpter, Dalton Wunderlich, Courtney Swan, Drew Clarkson, Nolan Valenter, David Kinsman, Nick Napier, Katie Shin, Edward Grigoryan, Hunter Gurney, Vanessa Serrano, Joseph Kashas, Josue Martinez, Autumn Wood, Ashley Atkins, Annika Bales, Austin Kaphammer, Brooke Christensen, Andrea DiGenova, Austin Barr, Jared Smith, Max Goss, Rachael Bonazelli, Grace Garfield, Sierra Brown, Courtney White, Mary Leighton, Sulamitta Stepanyuk, Hannah Tweet, Brandon Vega, Andy Peterson, David Meyer, Kassidi Sorensen, Josh Bates, Teal Fielding, Nicole Madrigal, Jefferson Yuan, Sam Ellis, Thomas Hudson, Jamison Hibbard, Shiraz Batroukh, Rachael Grant, Sarah Kelley, Megan Napier, Honor Stevenson, Matt Palodichuk, Chase Gallagher and Blake Christopher.