Colin Russell, a sophomore at Demopolis High School, was named as an event finalist at the DECA Club international competition held in Anaheim, Calif. He was the only student from the state of Alabama to be recognized.

The competition took place from April 29 to May 2 and featured members of DECA Club from across the United States, Canada, U.S. territories and Germany.

“Colin’s event, the multiple marketing series event, required that he take a 100-question multiple-choice test and do two role plays,” said Lucinda Mason, the advisor of the DHS DECA Club. “The medal that he got was for his performance in his role plays.”

“My first role play was about how some companies are switching to automated teller machines to do transactions within the store,” Russell said. “I had to turn my boss into wanting to go into that instead of changing out all of his employees. The topic was explaining to your boss how going to automated systems is better than having an employee there, and how I can save us money during the economic climate of today.

“My other role play was about customer service, how we need to get customers into our store.”

Mason was pleased with Russell’s result, especially considering he has two more years to compete at this level.

“Next year, he can work a little bit harder, push himself a little bit more, get in the finals and maybe even get a first-, second- or third-place trophy. That would be wonderful,” she said.

“He’s very capable, and he does work. He knows now what it takes to get on stage, so next year, he’s going to have to push himself a little bit harder. We were excited to be the only ones from Alabama to be recognized.”

Russell, the son of Levy and Thomasene Russell, was the only Alabamian out of 140 students from the state to be recognized. He went to the international competition last year as a freshman, his first year with DECA.

“Last year, I got a feel of how it was,” he said, “This year, I knew what to go back and look for.”

DECA Club members who made the trip went to Universal Studios, did a tour of Hollywood and Los Angeles and did a day at Disneyland. They even took in an L.A. Dodgers baseball game. Next year’s international competition will be held in Louisville, Ky.