Freshman Anna Staupe angled the phone camera, ready to take a photo of the DECA board to upload to social media.

Staupe joined DECA at the beginning of her freshman year because her best friend, Julia Matushak, planned on joining DECA as well. Senior Callie Peterson also invited them to join and encouraged them to do social media when they went down to districts.

Staupe was excited to run the social media; she took pictures of everyone, posting on the instagram story to update people who didn’t participate in DECA.

“She did a very good and engaging job, including all the DECA members,” Senior on the DECA board, Addison Matushak said.

Staupe and Jules Matushak competed in a team roleplay and won their category, which led them to state.

Staupe is now officially on the board, which is a surprising feat since she’s a freshman.

“Honestly I don’t know [how she made it on the board], it just kind of happened, partly because I ran the social media at districts as well,” Staupe said.

She is very excited for next year and having a bigger part on the board.

Along with DECA, she also participates in after school activities, and figure skates at the Duluth Figure Skating Club. Staupe is unique in the figure skating world because she has only been skating for a year and a half.

“I originally started in the baby classes because everyone normally starts skating as a kid,” Staupe said.

Figure skating has allowed her to make new friends and join a new community; she enjoys it very much and enjoys that her schedule is extremely flexible, allowing her to move classes around her conflicts.

Staupe enjoys creating new skating programs after each ice show.

Staupe hopes that everyone would find something new and fun to join, because no one knows what good things might come out of it.