FFCHS DECA Named Chapter of Excellence for the State of Colorado

Fountain, CO - The largest state conference in the 75-year history of Colorado DECA has concluded. This year, over 3,600 students from across the state showcased their talent and knowledge of business and marketing situations in role-play scenarios or business presentations. Students also took a 100-question test to assess their business knowledge based on one of the following career clusters: Marketing, Hospitality and Tourism, Business Administration, Entrepreneurship, or Finance.

The following students will be competing at DECA’s International Career Development Conference in Orlando in late April.

Fountain-Fort Carson DECA was awarded State Champion in the Chapter of Excellence (Large Chapter Division). Team members Alivia Adkins, Mia Oliver, and Josef Rivera highlighted the importance of Campus, Community, and Competition as the pillars of a strong DECA chapter in their paper and presentation, securing their win.

Senior Michael Oliver placed 3rd in Future Marketing Educator and 9th in Project Management Career Development for his work with the DECA Feeder Program at the middle school.

The team of Chelsea Martinez and Mackenzie Martinez placed 4th in Project Management Career Development for their work through Mentor Mondays, a weekly mentorship program between experienced FFCHS DECA members and first-year DECA members.

Seniors Joseph Barlow and Andre Henry placed 5th in Project Management Financial Literacy, where they helped educate students on the importance of personal finance for their futures.

Sophomore Avery Schrader was selected to the Colorado DECA State Officer Team, where she will represent the Colorado DECA District 8 chapters.

Samantha Johnson and Abigayle Fasulo successfully completed SBE certification. Trojan Threads, the school-based enterprise at Fountain-Fort Carson High School, was among an elite group of school-based enterprises achieving Gold Level Certification for the 2024-2025 school year.

State Finalists and those finishing in the top 10 from FFCHS include:

• Reese Bachman, Malia Fisher, and Kiryn Wilkinson - Project Management Community Giving
• Samira Rzig - Project Management Community Awareness
• Aiden-Jack (Ash) Forrer - Principles of Marketing

DECA, an Association of Marketing Students, is a Co-Curricular Career and Technical Student Organization, which promotes leadership development and student achievement. New data indicates that Colorado 10th graders who completed Career and Technical Education programs performed better on standardized tests reading and math tests than those who did not. The data was compiled by the Career and Technical Education division of the Colorado Community College System (CCCS).

DECA’s renowned Competitive Events Program uses role-plays, career cluster exams, online simulations and written projects to evaluate the academic knowledge and career skills DECA members develop in their marketing, entrepreneurship, finance, hospitality and management classes. The knowledge and skills assessed are part of National Curriculum Standards identified by industry leaders as essential for college and career success in today’s global economy.

DECA prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality and management. DECA enhances the preparation for college and careers by providing co-curricular programs that integrate into classroom instruction, apply learning, connect to business and promote competition. DECA’s student members leverage their DECA experience to become academically prepared, community oriented, professionally responsible, experienced leaders. The United States Congress and the Colorado Department of Education authorize DECA’s comprehensive learning program. View more information on DECA's official website.