Growing up, Clover Park High School senior Virginia Cabrera Horta’s family always told her not to let anything hold her back. And she doesn’t!
Virginia is a stellar student and an active participant in CPHS’s burgeoning DECA program. She manages the school’s apparel and plaque-making business, working with customers on designs and creating products they request.
A finalist at last year’s area DECA conference, Virginia overcame her introverted nature and earned a spot for the final phase of the competition in the restaurant and food service management category. She plans to attend Seattle University in the fall and her experience with DECA has inspired her to work toward starting her own business.
“She is very shy but determined,” said CPHS marketing teacher and DECA advisor Kitti Wheeler. “She has a maturity about her that I don’t see with most other students, and she always works so hard to push through any struggles she faces.”
Born with Morquio syndrome, which limits her ability to walk and causes other complications, Virginia refuses to let that stop her from fully engaging in school and activities. “I try my best every day,” she said. “I want to prove that just because I am in a wheelchair, it doesn’t mean I can’t do what everyone else is doing.”
Virginia is a DECA superstar and budding entrepreneur. She is one example of the more than 12,000 students in Clover Park School District who CAN and DO succeed inside and outside the classroom every day.
“I am so proud of her for the risks she’s taken,” Wheeler said. “It would be easy for a quiet student to fade into the background, but she always brings a positive attitude and desire to work hard and succeed.”