BHS DECA earns high honors again

BRIGHTON — For the second year in a row, Brighton High School’s DECA chapter was named Chapter of the Year during the Colorado DECA state leadership conference in Colorado Springs last month.
    Seniors Andrea Bravo and Kaitlin Hergenrider were among 67 BHS students to attend the conference and lead the team to success by receiving first place in the Program of Work Event. The team qualified for the International DECA Career Development Conference in April in Anaheim, Calif.

Photo courtesy of marketing teacher and DECA advisor Melissa Kreutzer

Brighton High School’s DECA xhapter was honored as Chapter of the Year at the Colorado State Leadership Conference in February. The chapter qualified for DECA’s international competition and will be traveling to Anaheim, Calif. in April to compete.

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    “The kids are very excited,” Business and Marketing Teacher Melissa Kreutzer said. “I think the best thing is not only seeing their excitement about it but the pride that they have in it and they take it very seriously and they really own the fact that they’re part of a unique chapter.”
    Kreutzer explained the Program of Work has nine specific goals a chapter has to meet and two chair people — Bravo and Hergenrider — to oversee the project. She said after the students brainstorm how they will meet those goals, sub-chairs organized a specific project for each of the goals. She said overall about 20 student chairs were involved in the Program of Work.
    In addition to the Program of Work, 12 students also placed in the competition, and will be moving on to the international competition in Anaheim, and four were recognized as top performers.
    Aly Lundeen, Nikki Oberfoell and Sammi Martinez received second place for their community service project; Dominique Wilson and Jazmin Morales also received second place for their “entrepreneurship promotion” project; Madison Marrs and Dakotah Willems received third place for their “creative marketing” project, Marlene Sanchez, Taylon Braden, Vanessa Malpica came in fifth place for their “buying and merchandising operations research” project and Brenda Gomez and Aimee Fontes also earned fifth place for their “learn and earn project. Top performers included Madison Marrs, Marlene Sanchez, Judit Moreno and Saul Jurado.
    According to Kreutzer, competing on the national level is “definitely a worthwhile experience” for students to practice their business and marketing skills they learn in the classroom. She knows the students have really good projects.
    “I’m pretty confident that they made a very strong impact within the community,” she said. “Now we just have to go see if we can compete nationally with it and so they’re preparing to do that.”