Student/Alumni Spotlights

Hannah Hickman

Hannah Hickman has served on the DECA State Officer Team for three consecutive years as the Vice President, District 2 Vice President, and the State President. While in high school she enjoyed participating in leadership conferences and competing at the state and international level. She won first place her freshman year in Business Services Operation Research, sophomore year 1st place in Career Development Project, and second place her junior year in Business Services Operations Research, and 1st place senior year in Finance Operations Research. She was Spain Park DECA's grade level Vice-President for DECA for three years and served as the State Liaison her senior year. She served as an international campaign manager her senior year. She served as a SPHS Ambassador and served as the SPHS Secretary of the Student Government Association. She is currently at Auburn University majoring in Marketing at Auburn University.

Mackenzie Moore

Mackenzie graduated from Spain Park High school in 2023. She served as the State of Alabama DECA District 2 Vice-President for two consecutive years leaving the most DECA Legacy Points of anyone at Spain Park. While Mackenzie was at SPHS, she completed both the marketing and finance pathways in the business academy. She placed at the Alabama State Career Development Conference in the Community Giving Project in 2020, Community Giving Project in 2021, and Finance Operations Research in 2023. She held participated in and held leadership positions in the following: Alabama State Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) District 2 Vice-President, SPHS Student Government Association Representative (SGA), Junior Class Office Liaison (JCO Liaison), Sophomore Vice President of DECA, Hoover Belle, Key Club, President of Alabama Latin Club, State Vice President of District 2 of DECA, Model UN, Diamond Doll, Alabama Student Advisory Board, National Business Honor Society Vice-President.

She is attending Auburn University where she plans to major in engineering with a minor in business.

-- Mackenzie Moore, Class of 2023

Ben Deas

Spain Park Highlights

National Merit Finalist
Academic and athletic letterman, captain of swim and dive team
Honor graduate
President of National Honor Society
Treasurer of National Business Honor Society
1st place in DECA state competition twice (won the Franchise Business Plan event junior year with Dare Adams, but I can’t remember what the event was called that me and Taylor Moore won senior year)
2nd place in JA Be Entrepreneurial Business Plan Challenge
Member of SP Ambassadors

Auburn Info/Highlights

Major in Mechanical Engineering and minor in Supply Chain Management (in the college of business)
Scholarship student, Dean’s List student
Completed internship with Trane Technologies as a technical sales engineer intern in commercial HVAC sales.
Completed internship with AMERICAN Cast Iron Pipe Company as a manufacturing engineer intern in the Ductile Iron Pipe division.
Member of Cupola Engineering Ambassadors (similar to SP ambassadors but for the College of Engineering)
President of Pi Tau Sigma Mechanical Engineering Honor Society
Pumphrey Outstanding Pre-Engineering Student Award 2023, Member of Pi Gamma Tau Freshman Engineering Honorary

"When thinking about how DECA/Spain Park’s Business Academy prepared me for my experiences in college, two main things come to mind. First, the curriculum gave me a strong foundation that I have carried into my classes in Auburn. Although Spain Park did not have supply chain management classes, it still prepared me for my minor coursework because I was easily able to recognize and apply concepts I learned in my supply chain classes to a more well-rounded view of business that includes the more well known areas (management, finance, accounting, marketing, entrepreneurship, etc. that I was introduced to at SP). Additionally, I am planning on using this foundation in my career as an engineer; many engineers eventually move into management positions where they do more business work than engineering on a day-to-day basis, and some even go back to school to get their MBA.

Secondly, the career prep instruction that is given in the Business Academy has been a tremendous aid to me in securing internship opportunities. The ability to have a strong resume and elevator pitch coming out of high school, as well as the ability to sell myself to an employer in a professional way, is the main reason why I stood out among other applicants for my internships, and I learned it all in high school with the Business Academy. I once went to a resume workshop being held for engineering students before a career fair, and the example resume they gave us looked almost exactly the same as the one Mrs. Bruce had used to teach us in high school. Building these professional skills in high school gave me confidence to talk to future employers at a young age, which was especially helpful for looking into engineering positions. Soft skills in these positions are harder to come by than you would think, and employers will often favor soft skills over raw skills/intellect in candidates."

Andrew Phillips

Andrew Phillips is a senior at Spain Park and has been a member of DECA and the Business and Entrepreneurship Academy since his freshman year. He has served as his grade level vice president for DECA for three years and was elected as the DECA president this year. He is the Spain Park National Business Honor Society Vice-President, National Honor Society Vice-President, and a SPHS Ambassador.

He excels in both academic and athletics. He is three time academic letterman and National Merit Scholar Finalist. In his free time, Andrew enjoys playing club soccer, playing the piano, doing community service, serving at his local church, and working at Craft Burger. Andrew plans to attend a university and then go to medical school.

Tyler Noles

“My time in the SPHS Finance Academy and DECA provided me with a solid foundation in financial principles and a deep understanding of business relationships. The rigorous curriculum and hands-on experiences equipped me with the skills needed to be successful in the financial world. Thanks to this program, I was able graduate magna cum laude at Auburn University with a degree in Accountancy. After completing my degree, I confidently pursued a career as an investment advisor, where I continue to apply the knowledge gained during those formative years. I recently passed the Series 7 exam to help me further my career in finance. SPHS Finance Academy played a pivotal role in shaping my success and interest in the financial industry.”

-Tyler Noles, Class of 2019

William Russell

William Russell was a member of the Spain Park business academy and our school’s chapter of DECA from 2021-2025, and he is currently one of our many chapter alumni members. During his four years he served as President and Vice-President of DECA and the Vice-President of the National Business Honor Society. As a member of DECA, William competed at the state and national level winning first place his sophomore year in a Career Development Project and second place his junior year in an Accounting Series Event.

While at Spain Park, William was very involved. He was Secretary and Treasurer of the National Honor Society, a Spain Park Ambassador, SGA representative, team captain and varsity member of the Swim and Dive Team, and a member of the Cross Country and Track and Field Teams. He was also awarded with the Academic Letterman, AP scholar with Distinction, “Mr. Spain Park High School”, and the Finley Award Winner for his graduating class in 2025.

“Having the chance to attend one of the best high schools in the state is a huge privilege and I made sure to take advantage of it. Spain Park pushes all of its students towards excellence both in and out of the classroom. Both the Business Academy and our chapter of DECA are prime examples of that. DECA has given me so many opportunities to push my leadership abilities to their full potential and feel prepared for college courses. Because of the opportunities I was given, I felt led to serve my chapter and academy to help ensure that other students after me receive the same opportunities. Being a product of Spain Park fills me with pride and gives me the confidence to move through life knowing that I can accomplish anything I put my mind to.”

— William Russell, Class of 2025

William is now at the University of Alabama studying Accounting and Economics and plans to attend law school in the near future.

Khushi Valliani

Khushi graduated from Spain Park High School in 2022. While at SPHS, she completed the Marketing pathway in the Business Academy and was an active member of DECA, where she also served as a chapter officer. Her leadership role in DECA helped her grow her confidence, communication skills, and ability to work with others. Competing at the state and international levels showed her how much she enjoyed branding, strategy, and presenting, which played a major role in her decision to pursue marketing in college.

Khushi shares that the Business Academy gave her a strong foundation that she still relies on today. The classes introduced her to important business concepts in marketing, management, and entrepreneurship, which helped her enter college with a clearer sense of direction. She also credits DECA for helping her grow as a leader and giving her the confidence to speak professionally and present her ideas. She says, “I truly would not be where I am today without the Business Academy and the teachers who guided me. They helped me find what I was good at and encouraged me to keep going.”

Khushi is currently a Marketing major at the University of Georgia. She is involved across campus through her role as Vice President of Marketing for Delta Sigma Pi, her work as a Marketing Intern for the Terry College of Business, and her position as the Inaugural Media and Promotions Chair for Women in Consulting. Khushi has completed a brand marketing internship with Newell Brands as well as a Brand Marketing Internship with Belk. She is passionate about consumer behavior, marketing strategy, and the fashion and entertainment industries, and looks forward to continuing to grow her career in these areas.

Hudson James

Hi, my name is Hudson James, and I graduated from Spain Park High School in 2023. My experience in the Business Academy and DECA sparked my passion for business and leadership. I currently attend Mississippi State University, where I’m continuing that journey by triple-majoring in Finance, Marketing, and Supply Chain Logistics. The Business Academy gave me foundational experience in presenting, networking, and understanding real-world business practices. Some of my favorite memories from high school were the business classes I took and the friendships I made along the way. I now serve as Treasurer of my fraternity, gaining valuable financial management skills and hands-on experience. Looking ahead, I plan to pursue a law degree that will allow me to grow and sustain private practices, with the long-term goal of starting and running my own business. The scholarship I earned through the Business Plan Challenge helped make my education possible, and I will always be grateful to Mrs. Bruce and the Business Academy for investing in my future.”

-Hudson James, Class of 2023

Graham Day

My time is the SPHS business academy taught me many of the skills that I still use to this day. Developing skills like public speaking, networking, and leadership helped me become one of the most highly recruited marketing students at Ole Miss. Not to mention the thousands of dollars I saved in tuition from business plan competitions. I now work as a medical sales account executive for a fortune 10 company, which is the same company I job shadowed with when I was in high school.

-Graham Day, Class of 2019

John Daniel &

Matthew Kendrick

While in the SPHS business academy I developed and learned important skills. Many of these skills I have had to apply and broaden further through my studies at Hampden-Sydney College. Skills such as speaking, work conduct, and presentation have remained an important part of my studies that originally stemmed from my time at SPHS. The application of these skills has only grown more important as I near the end of my education, and have allowed me to build strong connections with professors and future employers. Strengthening these skills and adding many others has given me the opportunity to intern with Medtronic in their medical sales sector. I am now a senior in college and seek to learn and improve upon these skills as I enter the real world.

-John Kendrick, Class of 2021

The SPHS business academy played a huge role in my academics. As a senior now at Hampden-Sydney College I often find myself pulling from the knowledge and skills I have gained from the SPHS business academy. These skills include networking, leadership, professionalism, and developing an entrepreneurial mindset. The experiences from the SPHS business academy laid the foundation for my future. As my time at Hampden-Sydney College comes to an end, I reflect on how the SPHS business academy has greatly influenced my learning and career.

Matthew Kendrick Class of 2021