Booker T. Washington students showcase DECA and Marketing Academy industry certifications

Students from Booker T. Washington High School’s Marketing and Entrepreneurship Academy described Tuesday how classroom work, industry certifications and a student-run school store give them hands‑on experience and local work opportunities.

The presentation, led by teacher Wendy Evans, put current and former DECA officers before the board to explain academy coursework, student certifications and community projects. “Marketing principles are the foundation for which the youth can use to achieve a career in marketing, finance, hospitality, and business management,” said Warren Kirkman, a senior and the chapter’s vice president of leadership.

The academy’s pathway starts in ninth grade with Marketing Essentials and moves through bookkeeping and management courses. “Eleventh graders will take marketing management and or business ownership. In these courses, the students run their own business, the Cat Shack,” Kira Jones, a senior and chapter campaign director, told the board. The Cat Shack sells food, drinks and apparel on campus and is supervised by upper‑class students.

Students described industry certifications the academy offers, including entrepreneurship and a professional bookkeeping credential, and said those credentials prepare pupils for jobs and internships. “The professional bookkeeping certification ensures you that you can track cash flow, manage expenses, and understand financial reports,” said Tylen Chambers, a junior who has earned the bookkeeping certification and has started a small business.

Presenters cited partnerships and local placements as part of the pathway. Warren Kirkman pointed to a relationship with Members First Credit Union that has led to student teller positions at the school branch and some off‑site bank locations. Students also recounted community service projects, like meal and clothing drives done with Maxwell Respite Center and Reentry Alliance Pensacola.

Board members and school leaders praised the program and the teacher seeking to restore the academy’s earlier scope. Wendy Evans told the board she began rebuilding the program after joining Washington in February 2022 and said the goal is to return the academy to its previous level of student participation and impact.

The presentation concluded with board members congratulating the students and asking several follow‑up questions about student business operations and stock‑market exercises the academy uses for financial literacy training.