When Ari walked into Bellingham High School as a freshman, she already had big goals. “At the start of the year, I knew I want to go to an international [competition]. I want this to be my experience this year.”

Thanks to support from the Bellingham Public Schools Foundation, Ari achieved that goal, traveling to Orlando, Florida to compete in DECA’s International Career Development Conference.

DECA is an international organization that prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management. Students compete in roleplay-based events where they’re given real-world business scenarios, limited prep time, and are judged on their problem-solving, communication, and professionalism. “A huge part of it is proving to myself that I can get up there and do it,” Ari said. And when the club agreed that the number of hours spent volunteering was a deciding factor in advancing to competitions, she became even more determined, showing up for more shifts than anyone else. “I knew I needed to put in the time, so I’m gonna do that. I was just so motivated.”

Ari, who competed in Principles of Entrepreneurship, was drawn to DECA for personal reasons. “I’ve been raised in a very entrepreneurial family,” she said. “My grandma owned a café for 13 years so I’ve always been surrounded by very work-driven people…especially very powerful women…who showed me that you can make it no matter what.”

While the competition was intense, the experience was rich with personal growth. “It’s made me less scared of people I don’t know,” Ari explained. “Just coming up to them being like, Hi, this is who I am…Because everyone does that in DECA. It’s all about networking.”

She also discovered the value of resilience. “I think the biggest thing about Internationals is learning how to lose,” she said. “Not placing my value on that. Instead being like, this is such a great experience, whether I win or not.”

Now a seasoned competitor, Ari plans to continue DECA throughout high school and help expand her school’s small but growing chapter. “We’re hoping to get more people, because that means more opportunities for us.”

For Ari, this wasn’t just a competition. It was a leap forward in confidence, leadership, and connection. And it was made possible by the generosity of donors who believe in students like her.