Every step in the journey is a learning experience, and as Moffat County senior Hannah Kilpatrick ships out next month for another go at the national level, her past competitions will make all the difference this time.

Kilpatrick will attend the DECA International Career Development Conference in Orlando at the end of April, a competition testing business-minded high school students on their skills and knowledge.

This is the second consecutive year for her to qualify for nationals, making the cut during the Colorado event in late February at Colorado Springs’ Broadmoor Resort.

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“Last year I got 10^th and got bumped up, this year I qualified right there,” Kilpatrick said, noting she got fifth this year.

The top six qualifiers move on to the next level.

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She competed in the Business Services Marketing category, the same as last year, though she said she has grown quite a bit since 2024, namely in the role-play element.

“It’s really helped me with my public speaking skills — learning to slow down when I’m talking and get better at thinking on my feet,” she said, noting the format was one she avoided entirely her first two years of high school.

Kilpatrick said she felt far more confident in her final role-play at state.

“I was a marketing director for a legal service company that wanted to extend more with entrepreneurs instead of just corporations, so they asked me how to market their workshops,” she said.  “I felt a lot better about being able to figure that out, and the performance indicators were something I had done before.”

After making it to nationals last year, the higher level competition was much tougher than she was expecting, though this year she’s made a point of getting ready in a new way.

“During my prep time, the 10 minutes that I’m given, I’ve really worked on trying to stay organized and keeping one line of thought,” Kilpatrick said. “Last year, the stress of the time limit really got to me, but this year, I’m really working on keeping organized and having sort of a script that I follow when I present that keeps me on track.”

Only days before the DECA national event, Kilpatrick and fellow teammates will be at the state event for Future Business Leaders of America. She is aiming to qualify for the FBLA national event as well — which would mark the third time for her — with a goal of winning state altogether.

Though she believes she’s more suited for FBLA than DECA, she feels both activities have been beneficial for her.

“DECA just helps you prepare for the things you might be doing in the adult world, like job interviews and public speaking,” Kilpatrick said. “I’ve got a real passion for that now.”