Chieftain Connection named nation's third-best school store

Utica High School’s school store has been named the third best in the nation by an organization that promotes student entrepreneurship.

The Chieftain Connection, a School-based enterprise at Utica High School, was honored April 25 at DECA’s International Career Development Conference in Orlando, Florida.

This is the fourth straight year the Chieftain Connection has been named among the nation’s top ten best at the conference.

“Our students are hard working, dedicated and had a passion for this DECA event,” said advisor Dana Boice. “They wanted to continue the legacy of earning top10 but had personal goals of winning first, second, or third and they achieved it!”

The school store competed against 110 other enterprises across the nation to receive the top award from DECA, a business organizers that promotes education in marketing, finance, hospitality and management in high schools and colleges.

Utica High School store managers Robert Syfert, Stephen Smith and Tayler Monroe presented to two sets of DECA judges before a final presentation to business leaders from Otis Spunkmeyer, a national cookie dough manufacturer and sponsor of the event.

Students were required to pick a best practice from the 80 page DECA manual to present in five to seven minutes while incorporating the audience and showing how the school store is unique. UHS students chose Human Resources.

In addition to the top school store award, Utica High School student Cole Horvath was a finalist and top 16 out of 100 competitors in the category of Entrepreneurship Participating. Horvath wrote a 10-page business plan and had a 15 minute presentation to judges on his business he would like to open in the future: Stage Bound Music Studios, an instrument shop that focused on products and lessons.