UCS school stores receive Gold Level Certification

SHELBY TOWNSHIP/UTICA/STERLING HEIGHTS — All four Utica Community Schools high school stores have received Gold Level Certification for the 2022-23 school year from DECA.

The Eagles Nest, of Eisenhower High School; The Talon, of Henry Ford II High School; the Titan Shoppe, of Stevenson High School; and The Chief Connection, of Utica High School, will be recognized for their achievements at DECA’s International Career Development Conference April 22-25 in Orlando, Florida.

Jennifer Milke, the Henry Ford II High School DECA adviser, said that throughout the gold level recertification process, the students had the opportunity to dive into various aspects of the Talon, such as operations, promotions and sales.

“They were able to improve the daily operations and create promotions to increase the number of customers and sales. I am so proud of their drive and dedication to DECA and the Talon,” she said in an email.

The stores were honored as school-based enterprises, which are defined as entrepreneurial operations in a school setting that provide goods and services to meet the needs of the market.

Utica Community Schools said that DECA advisers have used the school stores for more than four decades to provide students with learning experiences that reinforce classroom instruction and prepare students for college and careers.

The Eisenhower DECA members who contributed to the certification were students Rachael Gaulin and Alyssa Kassab, who had the assistance of their DECA chapter adviser, Louise LaFaive.

The Henry Ford II DECA students who contributed to the certification are Jace Milne, Ava Queener and Carla Koki. Milke advised them.

Queener said gaining a gold-level certification was important because the team at The Talon worked to improve its customers’ experience.

“By having many sales and special events throughout the year, not only were we able to improve the Talon’s overall profit, but also provide opportunities for more student involvement,” she said via email.

Stevenson High School DECA students Elma Ruznic, Jewels Haisha and Andi Sugrue contributed to the certification. Their DECA adviser is Heather Gabriel.

The Utica DECA members who contributed to the certification were Alexis Findley, Laina Tomei and Natalie Shtogrin. Their DECA chapter adviser is Dana Boice.

Christopher Young, chief program officer at DECA Inc., said DECA’s School-Based Enterprise Certification Program involves a rigorous process.

“DECA’s School-Based Enterprise Certification Program is designed to help DECA members demonstrate their classroom learning in a practical, learning laboratory, and then translate that into meaningful outcomes. These DECA members are practicing important workplace readiness skills while preparing for college and careers,” Young said in a press release.

To get the certification, which can be at bronze, silver or gold levels, the students had to submit documentation to show how their work meets marketing and retail business standards. A review committee evaluates the documentation and decides on the level of certification that the students achieved.