Skaneateles High School students succeed at DECA State Career Conference
A group of 15 Skaneateles High School students recently participated in the DECA State Career Conference held at the Rochester Riverside Convention Center with sophomore students Connor Gell and JP Soderberg advancing to the DECA International Career Development Conference (ICDC) in Atlanta, GA from April 21-24.
Gell and Soderberg followed up a first place finish in the Entrepreneurship Team Decision Making event at the regional competition with a second place overall finish in the state competition, with over 30 teams competing.
The duo is only the second group ever to earn a runner-up position at the state competition from Skaneateles, joining Chris Niebhur in 2016.
“This is a remarkable achievement for anyone, especially sophomores in their first year in DECA,” said Skaneateles DECA Coordinator, Dan Mulroy. “This is a tremendous opportunity for Connor and JP. They will not only have the opportunity to compete against some of the brightest high school minds, but they will also be able to attend a variety of leadership workshops which I am sure will make an impact.”
The DECA International Career Development Conference is the highlight of the DECA year. Eighteen thousand high school students, advisors, businesspersons and alumni gather for several days of DECA excitement.
Most participants at ICDC compete in one of DECA’s competitive events. The top competitors in each event are recognized for their outstanding achievements. In addition to the competitive events, many students and advisors participate in a variety of leadership and career advancing academies.
DECA prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management in high schools and colleges around the globe.
Utilizing lessons learned from DECA, students become academically prepared for college and career in the previously mentioned fields while also becoming community oriented by gaining an appreciation for the benefits of service and their potential impact on the community and world.
DECA also helps push students to become professionally responsible with ethics, integrity, and high standards while becoming experienced leaders by practicing key leadership skills such as goal setting, consensus building, and project management.
“The future is bright for Skaneateles DECA,” said Mulroy. “The sophomores who attended State DECA performed extremely well. The club has also seen enrollment increase each year. The club started with 18 students total two years ago and had membership of nearly 40 this year.”
State Conference Participants by Grade Level –
Seniors:
Aidan Bennett – Top10 Interview
Will Congel
Jon Metz – Top10 Test Score
Nieve Morse – Top10 Interview
Kenny Peterson
Mackenzie Ward
Juniors:
Aaron Ackerman
Patrick Hackler
Jessica Patalino – Top10 Interview/Top10 Overall
Zach Sears
Nate Wellington
Sophomores:
Ryan Bellinger
Trevor Fendak – Top10 Interview/Top10 Overall
Connor Gell – Top10 Interview/Top10 Overall/Second Place
JP Soderberg – Top10 Interview/Top10 Overall/Second Place
