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Parchment Students to Compete in National Marketing Event

(as featured in the Kalamazoo Gazette)

March 20, 2010

Source: By Jennifer Wezensky
Job Title: Special to the Gazette

PARCHMENT - Three Parchment High School seniors will be competing at the International Career and Development Conference in Louisville, Ky., April 23-28 after qualifying at a state-wide competition last weekend in Dearborn.

Parchment DECA Advisor Daniel Meiste said that the team of C.J. Gibson, Trevor Vader and Trevor Justice received a medal and plaque for taking the top spot in their event of Leadership and Teamwork. Junior Kailey Shaffer received a medal for runner-up to the ICDC in the area of Hospitality Services.

DECA started in the 1950s as the Distributive Education Club of America to teach retail operations. Over the years it has evolved with the marketing industry and now focuses on marketing education. Concepts taught include promotion, price, product and placement. There are now 7,500 DECA student members in Michigan at 165 schools.

Meiste said the students will compete against all other states and six different countries at the international conference.

Marketing at Parchment High School is a year-long program, with an option for a second year.

"All students have done an amazing job," Meiste said. "They all represented the school district in a professional manner. The students showed courage and leadership making it through all levels of competition. I am truly blessed to have such great students in the DECA Chapter. They deserve all the credit."

This article originally appeared in the Kalamazoo Gazette on March 20, 2010. View the article in its original form.