Lucy Naiman is a senior at Sehome High School in Bellingham. She is overjoyed to serve as the 2025-2026 Area 1 President and Vice President of Hospitality! Lucy is a 4th year DECA member and has competed in Hotel and Lodging Management every year. She has competed at all levels, qualifying for SCDC each year, and competing at ICDC her sophomore year. She has also served as Sehome’s Chapter President, a chapter that recently had over 90% of members qualify for SCDC. Being a DECA member has taught Lucy leadership skills, hard work, and the importance of having a strong community. She hopes to use her position to bring members together from all over the state, in order to extend the experience she’s had and her love for DECA to many.

When not wearing the blazer, Lucy can often be found donning a judge’s robe at the courthouse, where she serves as Whatcom county’s youngest judge through the Northwest Youth Services Teen Court program, and as the co-president of Sehome’s Teen Court club. She also dances a variety of styles at her local studio, plays the harp in her school orchestra, and enjoys working as an assistant Hebrew school teacher.

DECA has sparked a passion in Lucy, and she plans to attend a 4 year university as an economics major. After that she hopes to pursue law school.

Arushi Dashore is an incoming senior at Jackson High School in Mill Creek and is excited to serve as this year’s Area 2 President and VP of Career Development. A dedicated four-year DECA member, she has competed at every stage of competition. She earned a first-place finish in Entrepreneurship Team Decision Making at the Area level and placed fourth at SCDC in International Business Plan (IBP), qualifying for ICDC.

Arushi has been an officer in her DECA chapter’s leadership team during both her sophomore and junior years. As a sophomore, she served as the Community Service Director, playing a key role in organizing the chapter’s community service campaign. In her junior year, Arushi was honored to be selected as Chapter President, where she led the largest CTE chapter in school history, with over 250 active members. As a state officer, she is eager to expand initiatives for all Washington DECA members.

Beyond the blazer, Arushi has a strong passion for tennis, selected for her school’s varsity team for the past two years. This love for the sport inspired her to create MatchPoint.ai, a data-driven initiative that uses AI to analyze performance and prevent injuries in racket sports. She is also actively involved in her community as an intern at Gurukul, an Indian language and culture school. She aspires to leverage her programming experience and business acumen to pursue a career in investment banking or to start a technology-oriented business.

Being a DECA member has taught Arushi about what it means to be a leader, and she is beyond excited to be a state officer on Team Timeless and serve 16,500+ Washington DECA members in her term!

Anya Mahesh is a senior at Eastlake High School and is elated to serve as the 2025-2026 Area 3 President and VP of Finance. She has been a part of DECA since her freshman year, having competed in Entrepreneurship Team Decision Making and Sales Project, placing 1st at ICDC for Entrepreneurship Team Decision Making and 5th at SCDC for Sales Project.

Beyond competition, Anya enjoys the community element of DECA through serving as a chapter officer and being a member of the Lead DECA team. Through DECA, she has been given the opportunity to gain confidence in her professional skills, make long lasting friendships, and discover her love for entrepreneurship!

Outside of DECA, her passion for Computer Science drives her to engage in outreach and educate younger students. Anya loves trying new food, looking for sunset spots, and finding new music! In the future, she hopes to study Computer Science while also continuing to develop her entrepreneurial skills.

As the Area 3 President, she hopes to make a lasting impact on all 16,500+ members and is beyond thrilled to support members through their journeys this year!

Riya Jonnala is a senior at Issaquah High School, and she is beyond excited to be serving as your 2025-26 Area 4 President. As a fourth-year DECA member, she has seen and tried it all in terms of DECA, and now, she can’t wait to serve on the Washington DECA State Officer Team as a VP of Career Development. 

Riya has competed in both team roleplays and 20-page written events every year and has competed at ICDC freshman, sophomore, and junior year so far. Some of her favorite competition moments include winning first at SCDC in both BLTDM and PMCD as a sophomore, placing eighth at ICDC in BLTDM as a sophomore, and placing fourth at ICDC in PMCD as a junior. Riya has served as Vice President of Issaquah High’s DECA chapter, where she prepares 400+ students for competition, runs mock competitions, and hosts career development skill-building workshops. She has also worked in her school’s SBE, the Eagle Express. DECA has allowed her to meet so many new friends and practice stepping outside her comfort zone.

Outside of DECA, Riya loves traveling, running, and hanging out with friends. She also teaches and trains in taekwondo as a second-degree black belt and runs a career development nonprofit. In the future, Riya hopes to study business and technology at an East Coast or California university. DECA means community and growth to Riya, and she aims to empower all members to reach their full potential through DECA!

Meisha Situ is a senior at Kentridge High School and is very grateful to be chosen as your 2025-2026 Area 5 DECA President! This is her 3^rd year being a part of DECA and she has competed in Business Law, Financial Consulting, and many more to come! She has been chosen to be your VP of Marketing and can’t wait for the journey that comes along with this role.

Outside of DECA, Meisha has a ribbon flower business. She doesn’t view it as a job, rather something she can do for fun. She loves seeing the looks on people’s faces after she hands them the flowers. She also volunteers her time at her local animal shelter, as well as her church to help with kids!

In the future, her dream university is the University of Washington, where she hopes to major in Sociology to become a Pediatric Occupational Therapist, and minor in Business. She wants to open her own doctor’s office for occupational therapy and help people thrive in their environment no matter the circumstances.

Meisha is a incredibly outgoing, innovative person, and she’s very excited to be able to meet with all of you! She wants to hear all your ideas to make DECA a place for all! Feel free to reach out whenever, she’s open to conversations with anyone!

Ananya Gubba is an incoming senior at Hanford High School and is honored to serve as the 2025–2026 Area 6 President and Vice President of Finance. Now entering her fourth year in DECA, Ananya has served as a chapter officer for two years. During her time as president, her chapter was recognized at SCDC with the “Highest Chapter Member Increase” award. She’s also had the opportunity to attend the Thrive Academy and compete at ICDC in the School-Based Enterprise event. Over the past two years, she placed first in the Marketing Communications Series at Area competition.

Outside of DECA, Ananya enjoys being involved in both her school and community. She served as Vice President of Key Club, is an Eagle Scout, and holds a second-degree black belt in Taekwondo. She’s also worked as a Financial Operations Intern at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), where she has developed professional skills in a real-world setting. Ananya served as a youth commissioner for her city’s Parks and Recreation Commission and has organized initiatives like an annual food drive to give back.

Looking ahead, Ananya plans to dual major in finance and informatics, with hopes of earning a master’s degree in either cybersecurity or business. She’s passionate about using technology and leadership to make a difference in people’s lives. One quote that drives her is: “We can’t help everyone, but everyone can help someone.” Ananya believes in the power of community, lifting each other up, and striving for personal and collective growth. Ananya is excited to help empower DECA members, build strong connections, and make this year one of growth, innovation, and opportunity.

Amanda Xing is a senior at Rogers High School in Puyallup. Her interest in DECA began in middle school after hearing about her sister’s trip to SCDC in Bellevue. By the time she reached her sophomore year, DECA at her school was undergoing a transition with a new advisor stepping in. That year was filled with rebuilding and growth, and Amanda quickly stepped into leadership as the VP of Leadership. In her junior year, she became Chapter President. She has competed in HLM, QSRM, and will conclude her DECA journey with an SBE written project in her senior year.

Amanda plans to study Business Administration with a minor in Business Law at either the University of Washington in Seattle or Gonzaga University. Her career goal is to become a Corporate Event Planner, with a dream of opening her own café in the future.

Outside of DECA, Amanda enjoys city life, sunset car rides, serving at her church, photography, nature, and connecting with new people. Her extroverted personality and deep love for people drive her passion for leadership and service.

Amanda believes that learning never stops when you’re grounded in communication, reliability, and a willingness to listen and adapt. With DECA as a tool, she’s discovered that opportunities are endless – for growth, leadership, and success. She encourages others to not view DECA as just an organization, but a powerful tool that will propel you forward in your journey.

Garrett McKinley is a senior at Capital High School in Olympia, Washington. This year he will be serving as your Area 8 President and Vice President of Hospitality. He has been a DECA member for 4 years and has competed at the Area, State, and International level. He previously served as his Chapter’s Vice President of Competition and as Chapter President. He has competed in ENT for 3 years.

Garrett was born in Idaho, then moved to Washington while in elementary school. He joined DECA after being recommended by his marketing teacher. After placing at Area and attending SCDC his freshmen year, he fell in love with the organization. Garrett has been incredibly grateful for the long lasting memories he has created, incredible connections he has made, and amazing people he has met though DECA. He hopes to help build a fun and inviting atmosphere for DECA so that others can experience DECA to the fullest!

Garrett hopes to attend Boise State University after graduating and studying in their business school. He hopes to pursue a major in business and one day open his own business. 

DECA has made Garrett a more confident person while also developing his leadership skills. He hopes to help people enjoy DECA as much as he has!

Aleeza Chaudhry is a senior at Skyview High School in Vancouver, Washington, and is thrilled for the opportunity to serve as your Area 9 President. She has been a dedicated member of DECA for two years and previously served as her chapter’s Vice President of Career Development.

Alongside DECA, Aleeza is passionate about service and public health. She serves as President of her high school’s Red Cross chapter and leads regional initiatives to raise awareness about inherited blood disorders in her community.

Outside of her academic commitments, Aleeza enjoys reading, going on hikes and trying new restaurants.

After high school, Aleeza plans to attend a four year university and pursue studies in a field that combine her interests in science, health, and community impact.

DECA has provided Aleeza with valuable skills in leadership, communication and teamwork. She hopes to help her fellow DECA members gain the same confidence and skills to excel in their own DECA journeys.

Kya Tercero attends West Valley High School as a sophomore and is delighted to serve as the Area 10 President and Vice President of Leadership. She has been committed to DECA for two years and has competed at the Area and State levels. She also served as the community service chair for her DECA chapter and loves being able to bring people together to support their community. She hopes that she can help others support their community as well.

Outside of DECA, Kya participates in her school’s varsity golf team and has competed  at the state level. She enjoys being able to golf in a lot of new places while meeting tons of new people. She is always ready for a friendly competition! She also loves reading historical fiction and is always looking for new books. She hopes to study criminology at a four-year college.

One of Kya’s favorite quotes is from Kathryn Stockett, “You is kind. You is smart. You is important.” She hopes she can help others see their own inner strengths and strive to be the best, true versions of themselves.

Liam Carter is a senior at North Central High School in Spokane. It is his fourth year as a Washington DECA member, and he’s proud to be serving as your Vice President of Leadership for the 25/26 school year. Outside of DECA, he loves to work out, play soccer, and volunteer in his community.

He hopes to attend the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs and major in Management. After serving in the Air Force, he hopes to work as a financial advisor and help people in his career with their personal financial management.

Liam believes DECA is an organization that gives as much as you put into it. By putting effort into every event, competition, and conference, you can gain not only experiences that you will never forget but also lessons and skills that will impact every part of your life after high school.