Members of the DECA team had a strong showing at the International Career Development Conference this May in Atlanta, receiving numerous awards and recognitions. Six of the 19 students who participated in the international competition received an ICDC Award of Excellence in their event.

DECA is an international organization for students interested in pursuing a career in business or management. The ICDC is an annual event that attracted over 17,000 participants this year. At the conference, students take multiple choice tests and participate in problem-solving scenarios in front of judges.

Seniors David Bloch and James Ireland, juniors Sima Farzanegan and Claire Busch and sophomores Margo Sweat and Aaron Dalal all received awards in their events.

“This was my third year at ICDC and I couldn’t be happier with the experiences I’ve had and the life skills I’ve learned,” Bloch said. “I feel like it really gives me a glimpse into my future in business.”

Sophomores Jocelyn Dunkley and Ali Pete competed in the Business Law and Ethics team decision-making event.

“Since it was our first time we had no idea what the competition would be like,” Dunkley said. “It was really intense.”

Though ICDC is technically an international event, most of the participants are from the U.S. or Canada. The level of competition was very high because many of the participants take DECA classes and study hard, Dunkley said.

“I think overall it was a very good learning experience because we were exposed to the playing field and to our competition.” Dunkley said. “We know what to expect next year so we can prepare accordingly.”

Along with her team event, Pete also served as a national delegate at the conference, meaning she got to vote on the international DECA officers. Pete was one of three delegates representing Maryland.

“It was great because I was able to meet people from places all over the world that share the same interest as me,” Pete said.

Freshman Emily Kaperst also attended the conference but instead of competing, she participated in a leadership workshop called Ignite. The workshop, which attracted about 700 students, taught students about marketing and conducting interviews, Kaperst said.

“They tried to make the competition as fun as possible,” Kaperst said. “The experience overall was great.”

In addition to the competitions and workshops, the team members had free time to explore Atlanta and meet other DECA members, Bloch said.

“It’s a really great time to bond and have fun with everyone who came,” senior India Harrison said.