Spring-Ford’s Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) reached a record-level of success this year at the state and international levels after a solid performance at the district level.
More members placed at the State Career Development Conference, and eight students qualified for the International Career and Development Conference (ICDC). Ranvitha Chirumamilla, Krishna Patel, Shiven Mishra, Gina Singh, Ruby Orme, Annie Sahu, and Anoushka Yadav were among those who competed at the International Level competition.
“It’s like the Olympics of DECA,” club advisor Dr. Christopher Cameron explained. “Students (delegates) from across the world compete, and these are the finalists in each respective state or country. There were approximately 25,000 students competing at ICDC in Orlando, Florida in April. Sending eight Spring-Ford students was a big accomplishment for our chapter.”
Not only did Spring-Ford DECA send competitors to the ICDC, some also placed at the competition.
Orme scored a high role-play medal for her event, and Annie Sahu made it as a Top 20 finalist in the world for her event.
“I’m extremely proud of what all of these students were able to accomplish,” Cameron said. “They worked so hard and put in long hours to get to where they did.”
According to its state website, “DECA prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality and management in high schools and colleges around the globe.”
While it is widely known as a business club, the organization also sets members up for success by teaching them to lead in many fields of education, engineering, healthcare, communications, and even entertainment, just to name a few.
The district competition is the first level of competition for DECA members, typically held in November and December. The events that members are able to compete in can be divided into two different categories: Individual Series or Team Decision Making
Pennsylvania DECA is divided into a series of districts across the state. Each school that participates in DECA has its own chapter. Spring-Ford is part of District 8, which also includes The Hill School, Norristown, Northampton, Owen J. Roberts, Pottsgrove, and Pottstown. These are the schools they compete against during District competitions.
