Congratulations to our outstanding DECA students for their success at the State Leadership Conference.
Marketing students from Gar-Field and Woodbridge High Schools represented their programs and PWCS at the recent state conference of Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA).
Woodbridge Senior High School had six students competing at the State DECA Competition. Chuck Sullivan (12th grade) placed first in Sports and Entertainment Marketing for the state.
"I am so proud of our WSHS DECA students,” shared Nicole Healey, business education teacher and DECA co-advisor. “They enthusiastically took on the challenge of starting up the chapter and learning about DECA and competition.” Commenting on first place winner Chuck Sullivan, Healey reflects, “I knew he had the ability to excel in this competition!”
A contingent of Gar-Field High students also attended the state conference. The awards received were for achieving a level of proficiency on projects in team competitions. Along with nine other schools in the state, the Gar-Field DECA chapter earned a trophy in recognition for their outstanding work in conducting business all year. Additionally, the students earned Gold Level Re-Certification Retail Operations in honor of their school store and will compete in the International Conference against other school stores.
DECA’s stated mission is to "prepare emerging leaders and entrepreneurs for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality and management in high schools and colleges around the globe." This is a sentiment Healey echoes, “The DECA competitions and our students’ success are a perfect example of the importance of Marketing Education and its application to the workplace. Students are getting prepared for real-world, authentic job-related skills."
The DECA International Career Development Conference (ICDC) is the culmination of the DECA year. The conference, held in Virginia Beach, attracts more than 20,000 high school students, teacher-advisors, and business professionals and alumni gather for several days of competition in the areas of marketing, finance, hospitality, management, and entrepreneurship. Woodbridge will send Chuck Sullivan to compete in Sports and Entertainment Marketing and Gar-Field will also compete in the school stores competition.