On Monday, March 7, 15 members of the University High School chapter of DECA competed in the 2022 IN DECA State Career Development Conference at the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown. Roughly 50 Indiana schools and 1,600 students were represented in the state competition.
Eight Trailblazers received special recognition at the state level, and a record five qualified to compete in DECA’s International Career Development Conference in Atlanta next month. A 4th place finish or better in any category qualifies a competitor for internationals.
- Junior Karl Wang scored higher than 85 on his business role play and received special recognition for his excellence.
- Senior Bay Abdullah competed in the Restaurant & Food Service Management category and finished 6th in the state.
- Junior Cate Dollins earned 5th in the state for her category, Retail Management.
- Senior Quinn Dryden earned 5th in the state for Personal Financial Literacy. However, one of the top four competitors dropped out, so Dryden earned a spot competing at the international competition.
- Senior Nerissa Finnen competed in the Entrepreneurship category and finished 4th in the state. She will move on to compete at the international competition.
- Junior Mena Morcos finished 3rd in the state for the Hospitality and Tourism category and will also move on to the international competition.
- Finally, seniors Aisha Kokan and Jordan Herbst competed as a team in the Business Law & Ethics category and finished 3rd in the state. They too advance to compete at the international competition.
DECA competition typically involves a 100-question test followed by a business role play that is worth up to 100 points.
DECA enables aspiring entrepreneurs and emerging leaders to be ready for the challenges of their future endeavors through community service, real world experience, and career-oriented competition. The UHS chapter of DECA is led by advisor Mike Hagan.