The Indian Hill School District celebrates an historic showing for the Indian Hill High School DECA team, after 30 Braves qualified for the DECA International Career Development Conference (ICDC) in April, setting a new Indian Hill record for international qualifiers! An outstanding 73 students from Indian Hill competed in a pool of 2,000 DECA members statewide March 8-9 in Columbus.
“The trip was filled with many cheers, a few tears, and countless great memories of competition and friendship,” said Indian Hill Marketing Instructor Phil Said, who mentors the DECA program in partnership with Great Oaks. “This was an experience we know our students will remember for years to come!”
Additionally, Indian Hill High School students Sophia Chen and Jackson Kaster completed their term of DECA State Officers during the event.
“They represented their school, community, and OHIO DECA with the greatest dignity and effort I have ever witnessed in 23 years of teaching,” said Said. “Along with this, they remained focused on winning two state championships.”
The students who earned accolades included:
FIRST PLACE
Crisper Chabris, Entrepreneurship
Sophia Chen & Jackson Kaster, Entrepreneurship Team
Ben Liebel & Nick Rinala, Finance Team
Sam Simonds, Buying & Merchandising Business Operations
Liz George, Principles of Finance
Arjun Velayutham, Business Finance
SECOND PLACE
Jonah Bonomo, Business Finance
Penn Picton, Principles of Finance
Gea Eshleman & Alyssa Kerr Business, Law & Ethics Team
Paige Rabenold, Food Marketing
Macy Overton, Retail Marketing
Kaylie Withers & Dakota Spurrier, Innovation Plan
THIRD PLACE
Nate Bunkowske, Business Finance
Eli Camp & JC Chen, Finance Team
Anya Govil & Drew Boylan, Hospitality Team
Madden Phelps & McKenzie Stoddard, Travel Team
Brandon Yang, Business Services
Derek Zee, Entrepreneurship
Ava Buffetta, Tri-Quest Challenge
FOURTH PLACE
Jenna O'Driscoll, Hotel Management
Samantha Kayne & Jessie Robinson, Buying & Merchandising Team
FIFTH PLACE
Marly Cady & Merrie Leder, Buying & Merchandising Team
OTHER FINALISTS
Alex Bunkowske & Claire Wilkes, Entrepreneurship Team
Dan DeBow & Brady Evans, Sports Team
Jack Gerber, IMC – Services
Yvonne Gao, IMC – Services
Jenna Arnold, Hospitality Selling
Vivian Whaley & Mia Bolden, Buying & Merchandising Team
DECA is a career and technical student organization that prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs with a career interest in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management. DECA enhances the preparation for college and careers by providing co-curricular programs that integrate into classroom instruction, apply learning, connect to business and promote competition. DECA student members leverage their DECA experience to become academically prepared, community oriented, professionally responsible, experienced leaders. DECA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with nearly 250,000 members in 4,000 high school and college chapters in the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico and Germany.
Photo caption: The Indian Hill School District celebrates an historic showing for the Indian Hill High School DECA team, after 30 Braves qualified for the DECA International Career Development Conference (ICDC) in April, setting a new Indian Hill record for international qualifiers!