Evergreen helps Clarkston High School DECA compete and celebrate in Louisville

The Evergreen Board of Directors guides the funds generated from our lending activities to make charitable contributions in service to our communities. The funds are invested in a Green Initiative and an Entrepreneurial Initiative.

DECA is a high school business organization. Evergreen's Entrepreneurial Initiative sponsors their annual Entrepreneurship Promotion Project competition. We helped send the twelve winners to the International Career Development Conference in Louisville, Kentucky, in April. We received these wonderful photos and a letter sharing their experiences.

"This year has been quite the adventure. Being seniors in high school, we realized that our lives would quickly change after graduation and it is with the experiences through DECA that has prepared us for this change. First, we would like to thank Evergreen Business Capital for sponsoring the Entrepreneurship Promotion Project at the Washington State Career Development Conference. Your follow-up with a card, a chocolate bar, and a pen was very generous."

"Two weeks ago, thirty of us traveled to Louisville, KY to compete at the International Career Development Conference. Because our project was one of ninety-six in the Entrepreneurship Promotion category, it was a tough competition. With so many projects in a single category we only had to compete against fifteen other projects to make it to finals, which we were successfully able to do. This allowed us to present for a second time against the top sixteen projects of our category. After yet another excellent presentation, we were called up on stage as qualifiers for one of the top ten projects in the Entrepreneurship Promotion Project. This led to us receiving our third place trophy for our category! It was such a remarkable achievement. Among our success, other participants within our DECA chapter qualified for the top ten. In fact, we had a team from our DECA chapter place first in the Creative Marketing Project category! In the midst of all this success, our chapter got to tour many sights and experience different cultures as well. The sights included: the Louisville Slugger Factory, Churchill Downs, the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Corvette Factory, and the Gaylord Opryland Hotel and Resort. Also, we were able to eat at famous restaurants around Louisville, such as the Hard Rock Cafe, Lynn's Paradise Cafe, and the Wild Horse Saloon. The pictures included with this letter show our group at these amazing places."

"Once again we just wanted to thank you for supporting our category during the Washington State Career Development Conference and for all of the follow-up gifts. Clearly, if it was not for your generous support with our category, then we would not be able to have placed third at the International Career Development Conference. We wish you and Evergreen Business Capital the best of luck with the hope of you succeeding in everything you embark on- just as we did in Louisville.

Sincerely, Tristan Anderson"