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 Scott
Totty admits he never knew a salesman lived inside him, until
high school, when he became involved in marketing education and
DECA, the program's student organization.
Totty's marketing career has taken him to Russia, Houston, TX.
and back to his hometown, Shawnee, where he now is currently
marketing internationally for Central Plastics.
Totty is someone who can easily be described as an Oklahoma CareerTech
Champion.
CareerTech
Champions are alumni of the system who have found success in
a career and attribute much of that success to their occupational
program and student organization.
DECA activities helped Totty discover his
talent for sales.
"Work experience, supervised by an enthusiastic teacher,
skills competition, and serving as a state DECA officer lit a
spark in me that turned into a successful international marketing
career," said Totty.
"I learned the fundamentals of marketing in class and learned
about real-life business situations working at a miniature golf
course and a local grocery store through Shawnee High School's
marketing education program."
DECA projects helped Totty prepare for a business career.
"One project involved creating packaging that would keep
French fries hot inside the container in the ride home from the
restaurant," Totty said.
Working with the project's high school team, staff from a Mobil
chemical packaging plant and Wendy's Restaurant employees taught
Totty about product development and professionalism in a group
setting.
"Mobil chemical staff brainstormed ideas for the product,
and Wendy's helped us calculate costs associated with new package
development," Totty said. "The process taught me a
lot about teamwork."
Totty also learned how to sell himself, a valuable lesson in
preparation for the workforce.
"While successfully campaigning for the state DECA office
of parliamentarian, I learned how to solicit votes and make speeches
in front of large groups of peers. Both were valuable experiences
for me."
 With
his newfound interest in marketing, Totty went on to receive
a bachelor's degree in management with emphasis in international
business from Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee. It has
also taken him around the world.
"Three days after graduation, I moved to Moscow, Russia
with an opportunity to help set up an independent accounting
and marketing research firm," Totty said.
Following that successful venture, he returned to the states
to Houston to accept a consulting job with an information
technology company.
Today, he works in market development and sales at Central Plastics.
The company manufactures and markets polyethylene fittings for
natural gas, water, sewer and telecommunications around the world.
"The company operates wholly-owned subsidiaries in Korea,
New Zealand, China, Mexico, Argentina, and soon, Brazil,"
Totty said. "I am responsible for market development and
sales in all areas of the world outside North America and Canada."
"Marketing education and DECA activities in high school
opened doors of opportunity for me, literally across the globe."
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