Proctor Journal

Fifteen Proctor DECA (Distributive Education Clubs of America) students qualified for the five-day 62nd International Career Development Conference in Atlanta, GA beginning April 26. Twelve students will be attending the marketing competition.

Proctor teams earned a first, second and third at the Minnesota State Career Development Conference in Minneapolis last month. They competed against 1,300 Minnesota students. Their efforts earned them the right to represent Minnesota at the conference.

First Place

A “Creative Marketing” team consisting of Laura Gulbranson, Lizzie Maki, Brittany Roper, Kolina Stepanenkova, and Ryan Strapple developed “Project Keep the Lights On.” Students researched the job market in Northeastern Minnesota.

Second Place

The “Learn and Earn” team of Alyssa Johnsen, Rose St. John, and Lauren Verhel project: “Mocha Mousse Lounge,” earned money for the school while learning the ropes of running a business by running the high school café.

Third Place

Courtney Bartlett, Jen Billman, Mindy Clark, Jason Erickson, Brian Mackereth, Alyssa Morris and Adrian Oachs Public Relation Project was “Little Change, Big Difference.” They brought awareness to the little changes society can make to have a big impact on the environment.

“Proctor DECA’s success comes, in part, from so many alumni willing to continue to work with the program,” observed PHS Marketing teacher Jay Belcastro.

Bill Shelton, a 1999 PHS grad, has continued to share his knowledge and experience.

Melissa Kohne, a 2006 PHS grad and a student at St. Thomas, set up a DECA Alumni practice session at the college. PHS students visited the campus Saturday as Kohne and her crew read and graded DECA’s manuals.

Kohne took top honors at the national conference for her Creative Marketing project: “Soliciting for Survival.” The project dealt with securing funding for nonprofit agencies.

“DECA has specialized in developing marketing based projects for regional businesses and organizations. This year was no different,” observed Belcastro.

While in Atlanta, the students will also be attending a number of workshops and seminars dealing with leadership and teamwork. Up to 15,000 students are expected to attend.

Proctor is the smallest DECA Chapter in Minnesota and will likely be at the International Conference.

The DECA program was reinstated at PHS in 1996, after a 14-year absence. Of the 42 students who made up the two marketing classes taught by Belcastro that year, 10 earned a trip to nationals.

This is the 13th trip for Proctor to the Internationals since the program was revived.

Cash donations are being accepted to defray transportation costs to the competition. “By supporting DECA you are contributing to the growth of talented individuals who will make a difference in the future,” Mackereth stated.

Help Proctor DECA

Donations can be sent to: DECA c/o Brian Mackereth, 55841 S. Pike Lake Rd., Pike Lake, MN 55811.