Hazelwood East High School DECA Continues Tradition of Service with Mums for School Secretaries

Gallery • 5 Photos

Hazelwood East high school DECA club put together mum arrangements with bags of candy and store-bought bowls last Thursday evening in honor of each secretary’s hard work and dedication to Hazelwood East high school staff and students.

The Hazelwood East high school DECA chapter was established in 1978 and developed into one of the larger chapters in North County. Throughout the years Hazelwood East DECA organization participated in many volunteer activities and prepared students for life after graduation through workshops and education in business entrepreneurship and leadership. DECA Advisors, Mr. Orlando and Mr. Hitschler, explain the benefits of participating in DECA;

“DECA biggest advantage is in the networking it provides with their peers with similar interests, professionals in career fields locally, and colleges. Through Competitions and Leadership workshops students interact not only with their peers but with sometimes one on one with business leaders, college professors, and college administration. As students grow through the program over the year, they gain confidence in presenting, leading their peers, and interacting with adults.”

After pushing in a large pallet of mums, DECA  members arranged the mums inside of the festive bowls, and thoughtfully placed a bag of candy in each, for all 11 secretaries in the building. Students then delivered their gifts to each secretary, personally.

“ It was a wonderful surprise, and very welcoming”, says Switchboard operator, Mrs. Russel. “It was wonderful!”

Hazelwood East high school employees 11 secretaries throughout the building. Their roles span from sending hundreds of emails per week, to orchestrating some of East High school’s most detailed events. New Attendance secretary, Miss Lenore, accepted her arrangement with open arms and an open heart.

“It made me feel welcome!”

Throughout the school year, our secretaries work hard behind the scenes to bring together the complex events and schedules that make everyday life happen at Hazelwood East High School. DECA will continue the many traditions of giving back to the Hazelwood East High School Community.

DECA Advisers, Orlando and Hitschler say, “DECA is a club based on the four points of the DECA diamond – Leadership Development, Civic Consciousness, Social Intelligence, and Vocational Understanding…This year we have continued our annual activities of DECArations for the Secretaries, Adopt a Family or Families for Christmas Dinner, Shoe Box program (gifts/toiletries for kids), Shamrocks Fundraiser for MDA, District Fall Leadership at Blanchette Park, State Fall Leadership at Lake of the Ozarks, State Career Development Conference in Kansas City, National Career Development in Atlanta, Olympic Village for Special Olympics”.

To learn more about DECA, please contact Mr. Orlando or Mr. Hitschler, or visit the DECA website at https://www.deca.org/.