Hazel Guieb harnessed disappointment and drive to guide herself to success

Hazel Guieb has found the significance in a balance between open-mindedness and initiative through her journey toward self-sufficiency.

The incoming senior at North Central High School enjoys reading in her free time and hopes to use her skills in a writing career. Along with common struggles during the coronavirus pandemic, Guieb’s unique endeavors have shaped her.

After joining DECA, a club for students interested in business and marketing, during her sophomore year, she did not immediately find the welcoming community everybody talked about. In contrast, she felt left out and set up for failure. The lack of knowledge paired with her quiet nature was a difficult adjustment.

But Guieb, 17, said DECA has contributed to her growth, “because it touched every aspect of my life, like my work ethic, and like my self-esteem, and my confidence and everything.”

She did not make it to state her first year and realized she would have to guide herself through the program’s shortcomings, teaching her the initiative necessary to succeed.

Following her success at state junior year, she said, “that was, like, one of my more big moments because that, to me, was all the hard work that I put into my project and putting myself more out there to present myself more confident.”

Guieb was inspired by the first-hand growth of her parents after arriving in the United States from the Philippines and has displayed that disciplined development in her daily life.

“DECA was and still is my opportunity to grow,” she said.

Watching their hard work as they learned English helped her in transitioning from a shy and insecure girl to an open-minded advocate for herself. She has put her new skills to use and works as a high school intern reporter for The Spokesman-Review.

“I was afraid to talk because I didn’t feel like what I was going to say was worth saying,” she said. “Now it’s just me being like, ‘you say it because you want to say it.’ ”

Pete can be reached at olivep@spokseman.com.