By Tom Tolen / news@whmi.com


The Brighton High School DECA team has again distinguished itself by producing three state champions in the State Career Development Conference, held virtually earlier this month.

The state champions from Brighton are junior Holly Ireton, who competed in Business Finance; senior Nathan Canning, who participated in the Professional Selling category; and junior Evan Porter, who contended for honors in Entrepreneurship. The three state winners from Brighton all earned their top honors as a result of their test scores.

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.

A total of 40 BHS students competed in their respective categories, with the competition including taking a test and competing in role play. Brighton High School marketing teacher and DECA adviser Brent Luplow tells WHMI that he, and fellow marketing teachers Tanya Clark and Michelle Costa, are, quote, “very proud of our Brighton DECA students for their hard work during these (difficult) times.”

In addition to being one of the three state champions from Brighton, Evan Porter was elected by his peers to be the 2021-22 Michigan DECA Vice President of Chapter Development. Porter and Andrew Renner also received medals for exemplary role play while Porter earned a medal for an exemplary test. Porter, Ireton, and Canning now advance to the International Career Development Conference, to take place virtually in mid-April.

Top photo: 2021 Brighton DECA Team
Middle photo: Holly Ireton
Bootm photo: Evan Porter, Nathan Canning