By Tom Tolen / news@whmi.com


A group of Brighton High School career and technical students scored the most number of points of any BHS group in the history of the local club by taking first place in the recently held district tournament.

According to marketing teacher and DECA advisor, Brent Luplow, 39 of the 47 students in the Brighton DECA program qualified for the tournament, with the Brighton group taking home 84 medals. A total of 11 Brighton students won three medals — test, role play and district champion - 23 BHS students won two medals: either test or role play and district champion, and five members won one medal.

Some 3,400 students from 109 school districts in Michigan compete in the DECA district and state tournaments. It is divided into eight districts, with Brighton in District 4. In the DECA districts, students compete in their choice of one of 58 different events. The categories include marketing, entrepreneurship, business management and administration, hospitality and tourism and finance.

In the competition, students take a test which counts for a percentage of their final score and participate in a role play which counts as a percentage. If they have a top test score or top role play score they receive a medal. If their overall score is one of the top scores in their event they receive a district champion medallion which qualifies them for the state tournament.

DECA Inc., formerly the Distributive Education Clubs of America, is a career and technical support organization in all 50 states and eight foreign countries. The organization’s mission statement states that DECA prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs in marketing, finance, hospitality and management in high schools and colleges.

The next level of competition is the State Career Development Conference - which is usually held in Detroit, but this year will be held virtually in March.


The following students won three medals (test, role play, and district champion):

Nate Canning- professional selling
April Fox- hotel and lodging management
Ava Hassson- principles of hospitality and tourism
Delany Konkel- buying and merchandising team
Trent Mailloux- hospitality and tourism professional selling
Ashley Patterson- apparel and accessories marketing
Andrew Renner- retail merchandising
Sheldon Riley- sports and entertainment marketing team
Cade Schumacher- sports and entertainment marketing
Annie Sukosky- human resource management
Katie Tarnacki- quick serve restaurant management



The following students received two medals (either test or role play, and district champion):

Chase Banas- automotive services marketing
Makayla Bihlmeyer- hotel and lodging management
Ava Bjedov-hospitality services team
Connor Blood- sports and entertainment marketing team
Kirsten Browne- buying and merchandising team
Jacob Cook- food marketing
Amber deChavez- principles of hospitality and tourism
Cloe deFays- hospitality services team
Olivia Edwards- apparel and accessories marketing
Bella-Rosa Fetelea- principles of marketing
Christian Fitch- hospitality and tourism professional selling
Anton Ford- marketing communications
Ian Geoghegan- principles of business management and administration
Holly Ireton- business finance
Molly McKaig- hotel and lodging management
Shannon Myers- marketing communications
Ryan Pilon- food marketing
Evan Porter- entrepreneurship
Jakob Sata- automotive services marketing
Grant Stinedurf- sports and entertainment marketing team
Elin Thagard- business finance
Sophie Thompson- travel and tourism team
Ben Vernier- travel and tourism team