Klamath Union High School DECA students Abigail Cook and Mabel Riley waited long enough. Two patient years were how long they had to wait in order to compete in a Distributive Clubs of America competition once again and did so at the District III DECA competition held at Oregon Tech Nov. 9.
To say the least, Cook, the Klamath Union DECA president, and her officers had their work cut out for them. All the heavy lifting needed occurred a month before the event. Making sure judges were able to attend, calling the five schools (Henley High School, South Medford High School, North Medford High School, Crater High School and Phoenix High School) to see if they could participate, was all part of the job.
Finding judges, likely, was one of the more daunting tasks. Riley emailed the Chamber of Commerce and the Klamath Falls Downtown Association, along with board members from Klamath Falls City Schools to see who wanted to participate.
For Cook and her fellow officers, it was a first-time experience having to organize an entire event.
“It was something I never did before. Without all those steps that needed to be done, it would not have happened,” Cook said. “I was scared and was not sure it was going to happen; it was almost surreal.”
After having to deal with all the logistics of the event, Riley and Cook had to worry about being a part of the event itself. Klamath Union instructor Nat Ellis and his DECA leadership class made sure they were prepared. A week before the event, countless students elected to practice for an hour Monday through Friday after school.
“They even wanted to practice more than the hour we did. They were eager to prepare for the competition,” Cook said. “We had to explain to the students something they had never done before but they were there, curious.”
In all, 126 students participated in the event, while Klamath Union took the most participants, with 39 students, many who were underclassman.
The students’ preparation proved to be worth it but there was not much room for panicking. Students started with a 50-question exam that had to be completed in 50 minutes.
If a student wanted to compete in an individual event, they were given 10 minutes to read a business-related situation, which was seven paragraphs long and over 700 words. If someone wanted to be a part of the team event, they were given 20 minutes to prepare and then presented their solution to a judge.
In a business-related situation, if someone was a business owner who filed for bankruptcy, the student was required to put together a clever, thought out, structured solution they saw fit. Everything was spontaneous, a situation that was brand new to them.
Klamath Union students shined at the event. Riley finished first in the exam portion of the event and first in the roleplay, earning third overall. Cook earned first place in her roleplay before being beat out overall by a student from Crater.
“It opens your eyes to reality and gives you an opportunity to branch out. That is something you are not going to get just sitting and not doing something,” Cook said. “It is pressure you are getting, in a good way, that will help you moving forward.”
Other DECA students from Klamath Union also took home medals. Katherine Brown ended first place in her exam, first in the roleplay for a second-place finish. William McAtee finished first in the exam, along with classmate, Walter Hartley. Cassidy Bogatay ended with a strong showing and was second in both her exam and first roleplay, and was in first place for her second roleplay to earn her first overall.
Ameesha Hazarika also found success and ended in second place overall, while the duo of Alyse Perez and Brooke Nelson ended in first place overall after they earned first in their exam and roleplay.
Even a week after a rigorous competition, the students were planning a project that included making a large sign which gave students a chance to write what they are thankful for, along with a coffee bar for Klamath Union students and staff.
The students are also completing a project named Fueling Flight, which includes home cooked meals served to families in need before Thanksgiving. Nelson was in charge of contacting schools within KFCS to see who wanted to take part in the service and 30 families have been assisted.
Klamath Union DECA will later participate in the state competition, which might be online again this year. Riley was the state champion in her division last year, and earned her a spot in the national competition in Georgia. Klamath Union DECA will also look to host another event later this year.
Riley has always been interested in business and management. Her mother has a job in management, while her father works in business and civil law. Riley and Cook are not sure what their plans will be after high school but know what they have learned in DECA will assist them in whichever career they want to embark on.
“The values I have learned through DECA competition have always been a really big part of my life,” Riley said. “DECA definitely helps but I would still be moving towards achieving that even without it.”
“When you are a part of the competition, you realize how much you know automatically. Getting into the rhythm and realizing the little time you have, honestly puts you in a better position when you are in the situation.”