Celebrating three DECA alumni during “DECA Month”

November is “DECA Month” and to cap several activities that WCHS DECA has conducted this month, the chapter would like to promote the accomplishments of three DECA alumni.

Alexandra “Lexi” Davis

Alexandra “Lexi” Davis (2019) is currently a senior at James Madison University.  Lexi not only is a WCHS DECA alumna, but a past Chapter Historian officer as well. When asked how her past experiences in DECA have impacted her personal life, she replied, “DECA has taught me how to present formally, talk to people, and knowing how to sell myself to clients and employers”.  As to what advice she would give to a 1st year DECA member, Lexi stated, “put yourself out there as in getting involved in the community, compete in as many DECA events as you can, and try new things.”  Her favorite memory of DECA? Going to Orlando Florida to compete in the DECA International Career Development Conference, being around her friends throughout all her years in DECA, and managing the school store, Wildcats Corner.   Lexi was instrumental in having Wildcats Corner receive its initial Gold Level Certification as a school-based enterprise.  Although she is an engineering major at JMU, Lexi attributes her ability to present engineering project ideas to potential clients due to her involvement and success with DECA projects.

Leonard Maiden

Dr. Leonard F. “Len” Maiden (1950) was the 1st Chapter President of the Warren County High School DECA chapter. In 1949, Len was elected as the 1st High School President of National DECA.  After graduating from WCHS, he earned degrees from Virginia Commonwealth University, the University of Virginia, and the University of South Carolina. He was a veteran of the United States Army. In 1965 he joined the University of South Carolina faculty where he retired as Professor Emeritus of the College of Education.  Before joining the faculty at USC, he served as a Virginia State Supervisor for Marketing (Distributive) Education where he mentored marketing teachers and DECA chapter advisors in the Front Royal/Winchester/Northern Virginia region. Throughout his career, Dr. Maiden never lost his love for DECA.  He volunteered for many years as a judge in DECA state conferences in both Virginia and South Carolina.  He mentored students learning to become teachers and teachers learning to improve their craft for many years.  In 2021, the WCHS DECA Chapter established an annual scholarship to be awarded to a graduating WCHS DECA senior in his honor.

Sarah Gardner

Sarah Gardner is a 2016 high school graduate and alumna of James Madison University (2020).  She is also a professional member of the WCHS DECA chapter.  While in high school, Sarah was a member of her high school DECA chapter and served as the chapter’s president her senior year.  She was also a district winner, 3-time state winner, and competed in DECA’s International Career Development Conference three times.  She has served Virginia DECA as a State Leadership Conference judge for three years.  Currently, Sarah is a Senior Marketing Coordinator with Carahsoft Technology Corp. in Reston, VA.  When asked how her high school DECA experiences helped to prepare her for life after high school, she responded, “DECA taught me how to present myself in a professional setting.”  “DECA also taught me time management skills – mentoring other people, planning and executing projects, and writing research papers – and how to apply constructive criticism in order to improve as a marketing professional”, she added.  When asked what advice she would offer a first-year DECA member, Sarah stated, “Don’t be afraid to fall short or fail.  Just put forth your best effort and learn from the results!”