Papermaker DECA shines at international competition

Camas High School DECA, an organization of marketing students, has fared well in international competition this year.

Nineteen students, a school record, qualified to participate at the International Career Development Conference, held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla., April 28 through May 4.

The students were Drew Swisher, Chad Wiley, David Meyer, Jason Gorman, Elijah Kent, Chris Schiller, Scott Feather, Annike Sumpter, Danni Southard, Courtney Kinsman, Ben Hagen, Sara Slayton, Ciara Klein, Evan Klein, Keira Alkema, Tony Kern, Kevin Knight, Olivia Lovell and Sara Slayton.

“The students did a fantastic job of competing against the strongest in the United States and Canada,” teacher and advisor David Johnson said.

Five students qualified for finals. They were Wiley, Slayton, Klein, Feather and Kent. Meyer and Alkema also received individual awards.

Placing in the top 10 at the conference were the teams of Klein and Slayton for their financial literacy project, and Feather and Kent in the sports team decision making event.

“Overall, it was a great year for DECA students with 45 students qualifying for the state conference and a solid showing at the international conference,” Johnson said. ” DECA/Marketing provides students with a wonderful opportunity to work, play and compete throughout the year.”