Franklin Pierce High School DECA Annual Newsletter 2023-2024

FRANKLIN PIERCE DECA

DECApreparesemergingleadersandentrepreneursforcareers inmarketing,finance,hospitalityandmanagementinhigh schoolsandcollegesaroundtheglobe.

Letterfromour ChapterPresident

Welcome to our first-annual, Franklin Pierce DECA, end-ofyear chapter newsletter! We are thrilled to share with you our journey over this school-year Within this newsletter, you will find overviews from our competitions, events, and fundraisers, as well as recognitions for our members and chapter.

We would like to express our gratitude to all of our donors and those who gave their time as volunteers to aid us throughout this year Your generosity and dedication have allowed us to bring our program success in our first year back at FPHS, enabling us to grow and unlock opportunities for students from all across our campus.

It has been a year full of learning and discovery, for individuals in addition to for our chapter This newsletter will be a chance for each of you reading to follow us throughout our year, with inspirational stories and a glimpse into our development. We hope you enjoy.

Here’s to another year of excellence, growth, and opportunity!

Warm Regards,

Jordan Disney Chapter President

OfficerTeam

2023-2024

Disney! Jordan was also ASB Executive Vice President this school year Additionally, Disney is a member of National Honor Society and Sports Med and plays golf, basketball and soccer Jordan hopes to one day work in the

Ivy Truong represented DECA as our VP of Finance! Ivy is still figuring out her career goals as she is exploring paths in STEM, business and the arts This is a reason she joined DECA! She hopes to learn more about business while gaining leadership experience and being involved in the Franklin Pierce community

, Leadership and Link Crew He also played on the golf team He hopes to pursue a career in finance Raul joined DECA to learn more about being a leader and owning his own business, since he hopes to do that one day

Our VP of Career Development was Jasmine Pulido! Jasmine is a member of the cross country, basketball and track teams She also led the FP band as Drum Major and is a Running Start student Jasmine’s goal is to one day take over her father’s business by pursuing finance and accounting She joined DECA to help kickstart her future

Sand served as the Social Chair for the National Honor Society She also is a student at the Pierce County Skills Center in their culinary program Sofia hopes to go into the food hospitality industry She joined DECA to develop her public speaking and leadership skills

Miya Nguyen made sure everyone in our chapter felt welcomed as our VP of Hospitality! Miya also played tennis, was Junior Class secretary, co-captain for the Cheer team and is a Running Start student Miya’s goal is to become a professional cheerleader or a nurse She joined DECA after finding interest through FP’s business courses

1of3,917

HighSchoolChapters

Seven

statequalifiers

60+ hoursspent fundraising

92% ofDECAmembersreport thatDECAexperiences empoweredthemtobecome effectiveleaders.

Four statemedalists

Ninety-OnePercent ofDECAmembersreportthatDECAexperiencesconnectedschooltotherealworldforthem.

Three ICDCAcademyattendees One ICDCcompetitor &

Classof 2024

HonoringourSeniors

Raul Alvarado

Raul will be attending the University of Idaho where he will double major in Finance and Business Economics, both with an emphasis in PGA Management

“One of my favorite DECA memories is working the hoodie pre-sales Commander and I worked the station all night laughing whilst having meaningful conversations with those who have supported our chapter ”

Moises Escobedo

Moises will be staying close to home as he attends Tacoma Community College to study Radiology and get his license as a Rad Tech.

“My favorite DECA memory would have to be between the first media day or the pro sports day, just being around everyone having a good time and bonding more ”

Terina Laban

Terina will be attending the University of Hawai’i at Manoa, studying Kinesiology of Health and Exercise Science.

“My favorite memories were the experiences from SCDC At state, my favorite memories were being able to room with my friends and then spending all of the testing day with my other friends who were competing in similar categories as me!”

Shivneil Pillay

Shivneil plans to study Public Health at the University of Washington His goal is to use this degree as a Physicians’ Assistant

“My favorite memory from DECA would have to be the overnight trio at Bellevue for SCDC The mornings getting ready at the nice Hilton hotel, dressing up all fancy and getting to role play as a rich connoisseur for two nights has been my dream My absolute favorite would have to be how I beat Boston in a dreadful rap battle!”

DECAisLife

byRaulAlvarado

Raul Alvarado served as our 2023-2024 VP of Leadership At the Area 7 Conference, Alvarado placed 3rd in Automotive Service Marketing, allowing him to complete at the state level A few weeks later, at the opening session of the State Career Development Conference, it was announced that Raul won the Area 7 Member of the Year Award. To wrap up his senior year, Raul was accepted to the Ignite Academy, allowing him to attend the International Career Development Conference in Anaheim, California.

As a high school student, I’ve had dozens of clubs at my disposal, but I haven’t been a part of one until I was made aware of DECA by Ms. J. Disney. DECA is a club which helps prepare students for the business and entrepreneurial profession

Running for officer was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made It allowed me to attend three conferences and meet people who have similar interests It also allowed me to reconnect with long lost friends and network with people from all over the world I’ve always said it’s all about who you know and not what you know

Seeing our chapter succeed in competitions and opening a student store which is respected amongst the students is a dream come true. Every time I mention DECA I say it with a smile on my face because of the joy it has brought me From late night study sessions for our first ever competition, to my $40 late night ice cream at our state competition, I couldn’t have done it without my fellow officers and two amazing advisors

As I move on to the next chapter, I carry with me the lessons and experiences that DECA has given me I encourage every student to get involved, to take on leadership roles, and to embrace the opportunities that DECA offers. DECA is more than a club; it is a lifechanging journey. To all the future DECA members, remember to cherish every moment and strive for excellence. DECA is life.

Area7Career DevelopmentConference

Puyallup,WA

The first level of competition is the Area Career Development Conference, which was held at the Washington State Fairgrounds on January 19th for our area this year. Since it was our first year with a reactivated chapter, we only participated in Individual Series events. For this event, the top nine finalists move on to the State Career Development Conference

After arriving at the fairgrounds, our advisors went to the competition area to assist in running the conference while chapter members waited upstairs and studied before our competition time This year, most would have thought the Franklin Pierce DECA members were the underdogs, and we were We walked in with no experience and a small chapter, but what our competitors couldn't see, was our drive to succeed and the immense support our chapter had for each other. With our passionate can-do attitudes, we were able to have seven state qualifiers, four of which placed in the top three of their events.

“CompetingatAreawasan experienceI’llneverforget. Atfirst,Ididn’tevenwantto competebutafterIattended ameetingandwas convincedbyotherDECA members,Idecidedtogiveit achance.Iremember arrivingatthecompetition feelingsupernervousbut alsoreallyexcited. Throughoutthecompetition thenerveswentawayandI endedupplacinginmy event.Overall,thiscreateda momentIwillneverforget andIcan’twaittocompete againnextyear.Idefinitely recommendjoiningDECA!!!”

LindsayGade ChapterMember

State Qualifiers

Jasmine Pulido

Food Marketing 1st Place Sofia Ramirez

Food Marketing 4th Place

Jordan Disney

Sports & Entertainment

Marketing 2nd Place

Honesty Lopez-Hopkins

Apparel & Accessories

Marketing 3rd Place

Raul Alvarado

Automotive Services

Marketing 3rd Place

Boston Chang

Quick Serve Restaurant

Management 5th Place

Lindsay Gade

Quick Serve Restaurant

Management 6th Place

StateCareer DevelopmentConference

Bellevue,WA

After Area, the next competition level is State, commonly known as SCDC. This conference was held at the Meydenbauer Center in conjunction with the Hyatt Regency from February 29th to March 2nd. At SCDC, the finalists from each of Washington’s areas compete, along with a few additional events that only take place at SCDC and ICDC. One of these categories is the Principles Series Principles are a branch of the Individual Series Events and are available to first year members only To compete in these, you must be given an allocation spot, which each chapters receive based on the number of members they have For SCDC, the top nine overall competitors moved on and the top six scores for each role-play and exam were finalists

Our chapter had four members compete in the Principles series in addition to those who qualified from Area in January. At the Grand

Award Session, three Cardinals were called on stage as finalists and one qualified to compete at the International Career Development Conference!

While the competition was our top priority, SCDC also allowed our members to bond as a team through games, dinner and shopping.

“Competing at SCDC was very nerve-racking... For my first roleplay I could barely sit still in the waiting area but as soon as I got to the table and read the prompt I felt calm and prepared. It taught me important skills that I will use for the rest of my life! If you haven't yet you should definitely join DECA!”

BostonChang Chapter Member

Medalists

Jordan Disney Sports & Entertainment Marketing

7th Place

Jasmine Pulido

Food Marketing

Role Play Award

Miya Nguyen

Principles of Hospitality

Role Play Award

Ivy Truong

Principles of Business Management & Administration

Role Play Award

InternationalCareer DevelopmentConference

Anaheim,CA

The final level of competition is the International Career Development Conference (ICDC). Held in Anaheim, California from April 27th to May 1st, members from all over the world either compete to earn glass (a dazzling acrylic award given to the top three competitors) or participate in academies. Our chapter had one competitive qualifier, two Ignite Academy members and one Elevate Academy member attend the conference this year

Jordan Disney competed against 185 members from around the globe in the Sports and Entertainment Marketing Series Disney placed in the top 40 of his event and received a Certificate of Excellence thanks to his high scores

In order to participate in an academy, members had to go through an application process against hundreds of other Washington DECA members and be selected.

The different academies introduced new aspects of chapter development to attendees and allowed them great networking opportunities to build connections with members from across the U.S. and various other countries. The academies allowed Jasmine, Raul and Honesty to share their new knowledge with the chapter upon their return to help build a stronger foundation for next year

By attending ICDC, members had the opportunity to experience what the conference was like and gain insight from other chapters This opportunity will significantly benefit our chapter's competitive career in the future as we will be able to plan ahead and thoroughly prepare ourselves for all of the next year’s conferences.

Attendees also had the opportunity to have some fun at Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure!

“ICDC wassuchadifferent experiencefromanything elseforme.Justthesheer amountofhighschoolersall inoneplaceforone reasonwasremarkable.I thinkoneofthemajorthings wastheconnectionswe made.Ispoketopeoplefrom placeslikeIdahoand Michiganbutalsothe DominicanRepublicand Canada.Ifounditcoolthat thereweresomanypeople fromsomanyplaces pursuingthesesame opportunitiesasme.”

CompetitionDay: WinningMoreThana Medal

byJasminePulido

Jasmine Pulido is our VP of Career Development, focused on preparing our chapter for competition and our personal professional futures Pulido took home 1st place in Food Marketing at the Area 7 Conference She followed this up by being a finalist at SCDC, ultimately getting a role play award for her performance Jasmine participated in the Elevate Academy at ICDC. She will return in her current role next year.

“We will now be announcing your state qualifiers for 2024!” This sentence is what we were all waiting for I managed to suppress the butterflies in my stomach, but it came back the moment I sat down facing the stage There were so many people you couldn’t help but feel intimidated Of course, everyone was excited, but you could tell we were all thinking the same thing, “What if we can’t compete with these people, it’s our first year?” While everyone was nervous, we knew deep down that no matter what, we needed to support our fellow members The competition wasn’t about winning or losing, it was about showing up, proving that we’re more than just “newbies”, and more importantly, being there for each other.

As competition time got closer, we goofed around a bit to take some of the stress off but mainly we helped each other prep. When it was time for someone to compete, everyone wished them good luck and the moment they returned, we eagerly asked how they did and congratulated them for their effort

Once everyone competed and had taken a seat, the crowd grew quiet with anticipation There are 44 categories, so as qualifiers were being called for events we didn’t participate in, we just became more eager to hear our results

Finally, they called Apparel & Accessories

While most people in the room clapped as names were called, our chapter was silent.

That is, until we heard our first winner announced “HONESTY LOPEZ-HOPKINS!” was shouted by the speaker We erupted with joy, flew out of our seats and began to cheer

As we watched Honesty walk on that stage, a rush of pride came over everyone No one knew how the rest of the awards would go, but even if no one else qualified, we would still be overjoyed because one of us made it

This feeling of excitement and pride was maintained for the rest of the event as more FP names were called. Raul, Sofia, me, Lindsay, Boston and Jordan’s names soon followed, and the chapter’s excitement never faltered. Every time, Shivneil would spring from his seat for a standing ovation and the rest of the chapter would cheer at the top of their lungs.

Hearing my category get called was nerveracking. When the announcer called my name, I was on an emotional rollercoaster filled with nerves and excitement As I looked around the crowd I saw my fellow chapter members, all with huge smiles on their faces

My fear melted as I saw everyone rooting for me It was clear that I had full support from everyone no matter what The announcer started with ninth place and worked his way up

As names were called and contestants walked off the stage, I couldn’t stop the smile from plastering itself on my face. As the second-place winner left the stage, Miya was already cheering. “In first place, JASMINE PULIDO!”

I walked over to accept my medal and Miya was jumping up and down. Walking down the aisle back to my seat, Mr. Commander met me for a high five and Ms Disney had rose from her seat, beaming, just as they did for every qualifier Hearing the genuine enthusiasm from my friends was even sweeter than getting first

If our first competition taught us anything, it's that our DECA chapter is more than a group of kids occasionally pretending to be accountants It’s a group of students who have your back no matter what. It’s sharing accomplishments with those who care about your success, and it’s rooting for those that care about you. Participating in a DECA competitive event is a huge accomplishment alone and none of us could have done it without each other

ProSportsCareerDay

WashingtonDECAandtheSeattleMariners

Our chapter had the amazing opportunity to attend a panel of professional speakers followed by a Mariners game, thanks to Washington DECA and the Seattle Mariners! After a short Sounder ride, which was some members first time, we arrived at T-Mobile Ballpark. Panelists explained the behind-thescenes of how the ballpark runs smoothly and the importance of each team member’s contribution to the game. Representatives from the following departments shared about their career experience: ballpark operations, CRM & revenue operations, social media, communications, retail operations and sales Together, they illustrated the teamwork and constant communication needed throughout games and special events A few of the speakers were even DECA alumni and were able to showcase how DECA can help members develop the skills necessary for professional careers

Our chapter learned about other career opportunities we could pursue with the knowledge gained from the panelists. At the end of the session, members were given the opportunity to ask questions.

After the session, our chapter bonded as the Mariners took on the Kansas City Royals The afternoon consisted of cheering, teaching other members the rules of baseball, sweet treats, sunshine and a lot of laughs. Overall, we had a great day of baseball and business!

“Itwasfunlearningabout people’scareersandthen walkingaround,buying foodandhangingout!”

JanelyHernandezRamirez

ChapterMember

“Itwasanamazingexperiencetolearnabout a few careers in business & marketing and hearing everyone’s stories! Plus, hanging out withmyfriendsafterwardswassuperfun.”

CitlalyAyala FutureChapterMember

CardinalCorner

SchoolBasedEnterprise

Our student store, Cardinal Corner, is our chapter’s main fundraiser. This year Cardinal Corner sold Lotus Spritzers, stickers, and exclusive hoodies. The top selling items were the Lotus Spritzers and hoodies. The student store allows our members to develop and practice customer service skills, timely service, food safety and critical thinking Most high schoolers’ first jobs are in the food industry, so Cardinal Corner provides realworld, hands-on experience to prepare students to begin working Our members have dedicated their lunch and our advisors sacrificed their planning periods to ensure the store runs smoothly Throughout the year, students worked together through effective communication and understanding the various roles of the store.

Next year, Franklin Pierce will be offering Retail Operations, a class dedicated to learning the ins and outs of small business operations, where students will manage Cardinal Corner using the knowledge they gain in class Through DECA, we hope to

receive the School-Based Enterprise Gold Certification After becoming Gold Certified, two students will present SBE competition performance indicators against other chapters in an effort to win DECA Glass!

“Workingatthestudentstorewasafun

experience.Ilearnedalot,gottomake drinksandworkedonateam.Itwill definitelybeoneofthehighlightsofmy highschoolcareer.”

“Workingatthe studentstorehelped withdealingwithmy socialanxietyby meetingotherson campusandtaking careoftheirwantsand needs.”

ChloeBowman-Jones ChapterMember

AlexLara ChapterMember

MediaDays

PhotoshootforaPurpose

One of the largest fundraisers Franklin Pierce DECA held, was a media day for each sports season. Media day was a chance for athletes and students to take artistic and professional photos for themselves and family Our media days included a variety of backgrounds that correlate to the sports in season These photoshoots were not only an effective fundraiser, but they were also a way for our chapter members to learn how to solve problems and answer customer requests while also learning technical skills that are useful in the marketing industry. Our members created a safe environment to ensure everyone felt comfortable in front of the camera Each member handled different tasks to create the best experience for the student athletes

“DECA has made my sports photo experience way more fun. They helped me enjoy my time and made me feel like I was in the pros. ”

AidenBrieting

Athlete, Participant in Fall and Spring Media Days

HomecomingTailgate

Before FP’s Homecoming football game, DECA hosted a tailgate to help raise funds for our chapter We had an amazing turn-out, with the courtyard full of students, family and other community members having fun and bonding! Guests were able to purchase prints at the mini photo booth, play games, listen to music and order homemade Hawaiian barbecue plates and Lotus Spritzers while enjoying the company of their community A popular item our chapter sold were themed specialty Lotus drinks made with edible glitter for the special occasion These spritzers became a hit in our student store later in the year which helped boost overall sales

We’d like to give a special thank you to the Laban and Muai family for their help in preparing the delicious food!

T“TheHomecoming ailgatecreatedthe hypethegame neededforthewin.It wasarewarding experiencebeingable tocontributetothe salesoffood,photos, andhandwarmers whilealsobeingapart oftheschoolspirit!”

KaitlinNuon ChapterMember

McDECANight

PartneringwithBusinesses

On May 9th, DECA took over McDonald’s!

From 5:00-7:00 p m , a portion of McDonald’s sales were donated to our DECA chapter. During our chapter’s first restaurant takeover, our officer team handed out cookies to customers who supported us through their purchases as a small thank you and shared what DECA is all about!

This opportunity allowed our chapter to communicate with our community outside of our school. Many people weren’t aware Franklin Pierce had a DECA chapter again, so this event allowed us to spread awareness of our mission and goals

“McDECAnightwas oneforthebooks.As theAssistantGeneral Managerthiswasmy firsttimeever hostinganeventand letmejustsayitwas anamazing experienceworking withFPDECA!Itwas lovelyseeingallthe studentsand advisorstakethe timeoutoftheirday totryandraisefunds fortheirupcoming eventsand conferences.Ihope wecanmakethisa long-lasting tradition!”

BriannaMonson McDonald’sAssistantGeneral Manager

ThankYou...

Dr. Lance Goodpaster

Mr James Hester

Mrs. Brixey Marzano

Mrs. Jaci Washam

Mrs. Marie Laban

Mr. Brian Dyson

Mr. Tim Bremner

Mrs. Kellie Solomon

Mr Ramon Paz

Mrs. Madelyn McCarthy

Mr. Alexander Davis

Mr. Ronald Nerio

Mr. Mark Baumgarten

Mr. Jeffrey Wolff

Mr. Tono Sablan

Ms. Stephanee Disney

Mrs. Kathie Disney

Mrs. JulieAnn Detweiler

Mrs. Tiffany Disney

Ms. Lynn Cawthra

Mr. Philip Anderson

Mr. Micah Vargas

Mr. Jesse Bartlett

Mrs. Heather Ramirez

Mrs. Richenda Schenk

Mr. Jacob Muai

Mr. Kasala Laban

& many more...

A very special thank you to our advisors, Ms. JoDee Disney and Mr. James Commander!

2024-2025OfficerTeam

President

VP of Leadership

VP of Career Development

VP of Finance

VP of Marketing

VP of Hospitality

Jordan Disney

Miya Nguyen

Jasmine Pulido

Ivy Truong

Honesty Lopez-Hopkins

Sofia Ramirez

Follow us on Instagram for updates and information about our chapter!

@fphs deca