BIZ WIZ: Salem student takes 2nd in International DECA competition

Competing against thousands of high school students/future entrepreneurs from around the globe, Salem senior Bella Coughlin placed second in the Integrated Marketing Campaign category at the DECA International Career Development Conference earlier this month in Atlanta, Ga.

Not bad for a rookie.

A 4.0 student who competes for Salem’s state-ranked soccer team, Coughlin is the rare DECA competitor who achieved lofty success in her first year of competing.

DECA (originally Distributive Education Clubs of America) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit career and technical student organization that prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management. It serves over 300,000 high school and college students internationally.

She knows her stuff

Those who know Coughlin well weren’t surprised at her amazing accomplishment. After all, she runs a small marketing company that she hopes to expand once she graduates from the University of Michigan.

“As part of an advanced marketing class I took this year, I worked at the school store — The Den — at Plymouth (High School) and joined DECA,” Coughlin explained. “There are two categories you can compete in — role playing and a written event. For the state competition, I chose the written event because I felt that was my stronger of the two.

“In my category, I had to take a test and a do a writing project. My combined score in both put me in the top 10 (out of 24 finalists), but I didn’t know where I finished in the top 10 until the final day’s ceremony. Before I found out where I placed, I thought I did well, but it was my first year going up against people who have competed multiple years, so I didn’t know. I was super-excited just to be in the top 10.”

Remarkable runner-up finish

When judges revealed the top three placers, Coughlin said she became emotional when her name was announced as the conference’s runner-up in her category.

“I kept it together pretty well (emotionally) on stage, but I cried after,” she said. “I was excited and tired at the same time.”

Coughlin became the first-ever P-CEP student to finish as high as she did.

“I was inspired by my advisor, Ms. Johnson, and my dad (Rick Coughlin), who owns his own business in Ypsilanti (a self-service recording studio that is open 24/7),” she added.

‘Shark Tank’ fan

A resident of Ypsilanti, Coughlin has attended school in the Plymouth-Canton Community Schools district since kindergarten, atttending Workman Elementary (where her mom, Deanna, is a third-grade teacher) and Pioneer Middle School.

Not surprisingly, Coughlin said she is a fan of the ABC show “Shark Tank”, which showcases up-and-coming entrepreneurs.

“I love their creativity and the fact that they believe in themselves,” Coughlin said of the “Shark Tank” contestants. “They’re all trying to come up with a unique idea to solve a problem in people’s lives, which is what business is all about.”

Her career goals are set

Coughlin said she already knows what segment of the business world she wants to pursue once she earns a business degree from U of M.

“I’m passionate about social-impact marketing,” she said. “I want to help businesses and non-profits prioritize making positive changes in the world.”

Along with P-CEP DECA advisor Tyra Johnson, Coughlin was joined in Atlanta by P-CEP students Trevor Simmonds, Jada Dieffenbaugher, Tavprasad Hayer, Samuel Freeman, Kaiden Moore, Dristi Sompura and Elena Sekulla.

Ed Wright can be reached at 734-664-4657 or edwright@socialhousenews.com.