Francis Tuttle Students Help Students In Maui

DECA is a program for high school students that prepares them for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management.

“There’s just so many things and so many different projects you can compete in, I think that DECA is useful for anyone,” said Francis Tuttle Student, Ayla Relland.

In August as students returned to school at Francis Tuttle Technology Center they began researching for projects, their teacher suggested the Maui fires. “You know this is a really big deal, I think that maybe we should do something about it,” said Relland. 

This wasn’t your typical DECA project, but it is one close to the hearts of the students. “I’m from Hawaii, and so I have a lot of family there, so I felt a personal heartbreak for them,” said Francis Tuttle student, Yvanna Kony.

The Oklahoma students made contact with DECA students in Maui, to first see how they could help. “So far it’s just been like, how can we help you, what’s going on now, what do you need,” said Relland.

Since August the students have been creating fundraising projects to send money to their new friends in Hawaii. “As a class, we sell ads on the back of our T-shirts, and then sell those T-shirts to the students in the building,” said Relland.

Students also made hope bracelets, bonding the students together and encouraging their Maui friends to not give up. “So, in total, we sent one thousand dollars from the t-shirts, and then we reached out to businesses to see if they were interested in sponsoring students,” said Relland.

The students text and have regular Zoom meetings, but at one point the students felt like the entire project and their friendship were lost. “For like a whole month we really couldn’t talk to them at all, which was hard,” said Relland.

All explained the Maui students were on Winter break, which is significantly longer than the winter breaks in Oklahoma. “Then they emailed us back and said oh sorry, on Winter break, what’s up?” said Relland.

The ladies placed second in the state competition, but they say more than winning, they have met a lot of new friends that they plan to stay in touch with.