Giving Back to DECA: From Kirkland High School Competitor to Bellevue Judge 30 Years Later
It Started with One Teacher
Mr. Cooper changed my life.
As a high school student at Lake Washington High School in Kirkland, I didn't know what "business" really meant. But Mr. Cooper saw something in me—potential I couldn't yet see in myself—and introduced me to DECA.
That introduction became the foundation for everything that followed.
This week, thirty years later, I walked into the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue to judge the same DECA competition that once shaped my future. Over 1,400 students from across the Eastside—Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond, Sammamish, Issaquah—arrived at 7am in professional suits, ties, and blazers, ready to prove themselves.
I saw myself in every single one of them.
Why I Came Back
DECA didn't just teach me business skills. It taught me how to think, how to prepare, how to serve others with excellence.
When you receive something that valuable, you have a responsibility to give it back.
Mr. Cooper didn't have to invest extra time in a high school kid from Kirkland. He didn't have to encourage me to compete, to practice my presentations over and over, to believe I could succeed.
But he did. And it changed everything.
So when DECA asked if I could judge at the Meydenbauer Center, there was only one answer: Yes. It's the least I can do to honor what was given to me.
What 1,400 Students Taught Me
From 7am to 3pm, I watched student after student present in categories like Professional Selling, Financial Consulting, and Hospitality Management.
These weren't just presentations. They were glimpses into the future leaders of Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond, and the entire Eastside.
What struck me most:
Their Preparation - Just like I learned 30 years ago, these students understood that success comes from the work you do before anyone's watching.
Their Confidence - Standing in front of judges, delivering presentations with poise—that's a skill that will serve them whether they become entrepreneurs, real estate professionals, doctors, or teachers.
Their Professionalism - Seeing 1,400 high school students dressed in business attire, arriving early, taking it seriously—that's the Eastside community raising the next generation right.
Their Potential - Every single student I judged has the ability to build something meaningful. They just need mentors willing to invest in them the way Mr. Cooper invested in me.
Full Circle: Elijah's Turn
What makes this moment even more special is watching my son Elijah begin his own DECA journey.
The same yellow evaluation forms I nervously awaited as a Lake Washington High School student are now part of his experience.
The same lessons about integrity, preparation, and service that Mr. Cooper taught me are now shaping Elijah's character.
This is what legacy looks like:
Not building monuments to yourself, but building pathways for others. Not keeping what you've learned, but passing it forward to the next generation.
The DECA Foundation That Built My Career
People often ask how I've built a successful career serving Bellevue and Eastside clients in real estate.
The answer goes back to Room 204 at Lake Washington High School and a teacher who believed in his students.
Mr. Cooper taught me principles through DECA that I use every single day:
Listen Before You Speak
In DECA, you study your case before presenting solutions. In real estate, I listen to my clients' needs before recommending properties in Bellevue, Kirkland, or Redmond.
Preparation Wins
DECA competitors who prepare the most perform the best. In real estate, clients who work with prepared advisors get better results—whether buying in Sammamish or selling in Issaquah.
Integrity Over Shortcuts
DECA taught me that how you win matters as much as winning. In real estate, that means always putting my clients' interests first, even when it costs me a commission.
Community Matters
Mr. Cooper didn't just teach business—he taught us to care about our community. That's why I serve Bellevue and Eastside families, give back through DECA judging, and invest in the place that invested in me.
A Message to Students (and Parents)
To DECA Students:
If you competed at Meydenbauer Center this week, I want you to know something: You're building skills that will compound for decades.
The presentation you gave? That's the same confidence you'll use in job interviews, client meetings, and leadership moments throughout your life.
The research you did? That's the same analytical thinking you'll use to make smart decisions about careers, investments, and opportunities.
The professionalism you showed? That's the same character that will help you build a reputation people trust.
Don't underestimate what you're learning right now. Thirty years from now, you'll look back and realize DECA gave you more than a competition—it gave you a foundation.
To Parents:
If your student is involved in DECA, you're giving them something invaluable. The skills they're developing—public speaking, critical thinking, ethical decision-making—will serve them in every career path they choose.
Support their involvement. Encourage their preparation. Celebrate their effort, not just their results.
And when they succeed years from now, they'll remember that you believed in them when they were just high school students in suits and blazers, showing up at 7am to compete.
Thank You, Mr. Cooper
I don't know if Mr. Cooper realizes the impact he had on a teenage kid from Kirkland three decades ago.
But standing in the Meydenbauer Center, holding those same yellow evaluation forms, judging students from Lake Washington, Bellevue, Redmond, Sammamish, and Issaquah high schools—I felt the weight of that impact.
One teacher. One program. One decision to invest in students.
That's all it took to change the trajectory of my life.
So, Mr. Cooper, if you're reading this: Thank you. Thank you for seeing potential in me. Thank you for introducing me to DECA. Thank you for teaching me that business is about serving others, not just serving yourself.
I hope I'm honoring what you gave me by giving it back to the next generation.
Why This Matters for Eastside Families
You might wonder what a DECA story has to do with real estate.
Everything.
When you choose a real estate advisor to help you buy a home in Bellevue, sell a property in Kirkland, or invest in Redmond, you're not just choosing someone who knows market data.
You're choosing their values. Their character. Their commitment to the community.
I'm not just a Bellevue real estate professional. I'm someone who was shaped by an Eastside teacher, educated in Eastside schools, and committed to serving Eastside families with the same integrity Mr. Cooper taught me 30 years ago.
That foundation matters.
Building Legacy, One Generation at a Time
As I left the Meydenbauer Center and drove through Bellevue, past Kirkland, toward home, I thought about the 1,400 students I'd seen that day.
Some will become doctors. Some will become entrepreneurs. Some will become teachers like Mr. Cooper.
And some—maybe—will become real estate professionals who serve Eastside families with excellence and integrity.
Wherever they go, they'll carry forward what DECA gave them.
Just like I have for 30 years.
Just like Elijah will for the next 30.
That's legacy.
Let's Connect
Whether you're a DECA student, a parent supporting your student's journey, or an Eastside family looking for a real estate advisor who values preparation, integrity, and community—I'd love to connect.
For DECA Students/Parents:
If you have questions about how DECA skills translate to real-world careers, feel free to reach out. I'm happy to share what I've learned.
For Eastside Families:
If you're considering buying or selling in Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond, Sammamish, or Issaquah, let's talk. I bring 30 years of business principles and deep Eastside roots to every client relationship.