DECA students from the College and Career Institute are among several from Douglas County School System high schools who will compete at the State Career Development Conference in Atlanta from January 30 to February 1.
A total of 13 DECA students from the CCI will compete in various team role play, individual role play, and written manual events, according to CCI DECA sponsor Savannah Ray-Lloret.
Four DECA students from the CCI earned top placements at the DECA Region Competition last month in Dallas, Ga. Joseph Chappel and Moji Abass secured first place, Ansleigh Jackson earned second place and Cecily Bonnelle received a third-place award.
As part of their first-place finish at Region, Chappel and Abass each competed in a role-play event where they were given a real-world business scenario and asked to take on the role of a marketing professional to present their solution to the judge.
Both students received high scores for exceeding the expectations of the performance indicators and demonstrating various 21st century skills such as communicating effectively, showing creativity and reasoning effectively, Ray-Lloret said.
“I am incredibly proud of these DECA students for dedicating countless hours to prepare for a 100-question exam and presenting their skills in front of a judge,” Ray-Lloret added. “Competing in a business-related event at the high school level is undoubtedly a challenging and nerve-wracking experience, and their confidence and commitment are truly commendable."