THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, July 18, 1996 TAG: 9607170122
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 04 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: THUMBS UP
SOURCE: BY SHIRLEY BRINKLEY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SUFFOLK LENGTH: 87 lines
HEATHER GRANT joined the Distributive Education Club of America as a shy, quiet sophomore at Nansemond River High School.
What a difference three years of DECA training can make.
When she graduated in June, Heather was club president, had excelled at both state and national leadership conferences and had received a DECA Certificate of Excellence for the past two years.
After taking several business courses, she said, she decided to try marketing.
``As a sophomore, I was so shy and kept to myself. Sophomores rarely go into competition, but in the middle of the year, I was asked to substitute for a sick student in state competition. Through DECA, I'm able to make presentations and speeches. I also learned how to deal with people.''
Competing as a sophomore, Heather won third place in fashion merchandising in the state. And that was only the beginning of her accomplishments.
As a state winner, Heather was invited to attend national competition in Detroit, where she was the youngest member present. With newfound confidence, she successfully presented her marketing project complete with a manual, flip chart and slide show.
Heather has participated and won at the DECA District 19 Leadership Conference and the DECA State Leadership Conference for the past three years.
As a junior, she won first place in Virginia in fashion merchandising and attended national competition in St. Louis.
During her senior year, Heather chose a sophomore DECA member to help her with activities and a presentation on free enterprise at the national conference in Orlando, Fla.
Throughout the school year, Heather and other DECA members also have given free enterprise presentations to Suffolk's elementary and middle school students.
``We explained about DECA and how the business world works . . . how we have the best system,'' Heather said.
The State Farm Insurance offices in Suffolk helped the group presentations by donating prizes to the children - cups, clipboards, key chains and sports bags.
Recently, State Farm decided to present a senior DECA member with a $500 scholarship. The scholarship application was designed by the Marketing Education students, who also worked with the State Farm agents in setting up the application process and guidelines for selecting the recipient.
A scholarship committee was formed and applications were judged based on a student's academic performance, financial needs, school, work and community involvement and DECA participation.
Heather, 18, was selected as the scholarship winner. An honor graduate, she had taken the Fundamentals of Marketing, Marketing, Advanced Marketing and Entrepreneurship.
A native of Portsmouth, Heather is the daughter of James and Rebecca Klinefelter of Suffolk and Patrick Grant of Chesapeake. She has a 14-year-old brother, Brandon Willis.
Since age 14, Heather has had various part-time jobs. She has been a lifeguard at the Suffolk Y and a candy-striper at Maryview Hospital in Portsmouth. She also worked as a volunteer helper at the Actin Harbour Veterinary Office, participated in a mentorship at Penn Engineering, and is a member of the Suffolk Police Department's Explorer Post.
Heather is working as an advertising intern at The Suffolk News-Herald for eight weeks this summer.
While helping her family build a former home in Windsor, Heather discovered that she enjoyed working with her hands. Later, she was hired to cut and inspect steel in the steel shop at Parkway Manufacturing.
Heather believes she found her niche, however, when she joined the Driver Volunteer Fire Department.
For more than a year, she has trained as a firefighter and has been on call every Friday night.
``I've worked car accidents and car and kitchen fires,'' she said. ``I look at a victim as someone I can help.''
A fire hose nozzle that broke loose, hit her, and fractured three ribs failed to dampen her enthusiasm.
``They put me to the test,'' she said. ``In training, I had to pull my lieutenant out of a burning house. I can carry a grown man down a ladder on my shoulder.''
An animal lover, Heather has two ferrets, two well-mannered, white wolf-hybrid pups, Summer and Misty, and a rose tarantula. She also owns a small ball python, which accompanied her on her job at the steel shop.
Heather plans a career as a fire marshal. She will attend Tidewater Community College in the fall to pursue an associate degree in business and fire science. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by MICHAEL KESTNER
Heather Grant believes she found her niche when she joined the
Driver Volunteer Fire Department. by CNB