GCHS DECA is headed to Nationals after a strong finish at the group’s State Conference. 12 students qualified to compete at the International Career Development Conference in Orlando next month. The individual and team successes at state come on the heels of solid performances at Regional competition in January.
Daniel Ratley was elected Region 2 President and Piper Mangan was elected VP of Communications. Mangan was also elected to serve as Kentucky DECA VP of Finance.
Amelia Hayes was selected as Kentucky’s Outstanding DECA Member, and Tate Cain designed a t-shirt that was selected as the State shirt for all of Kentucky DECA.
Regional results included Individual 1st Place, Maggie Shepherd, Apparel & Accessories Marketing; Landon Lowrey, Automotive Services Marketing; Houston Brooks, Business Finance; Brack Allen, Principles of Entrepreneurship; Piper Mangan, Hospitality & Tourism Professional Selling; Daniel Ratley, Community Awareness Project.
Team events, 1st place: Tate Cain, Amelia Hayes & Raylee Shepherd, Financial Literacy Project; William Johnston & Connor Lee, Business Law & Ethics; and Sophia Butler and Lillian Lowrey, Buying and Merchandising
In 2nd Place were Alyssa and Alisabeth Merrifield, Start-Up Business Plan; Brody Glutting, Entrepreneurship Series; Miles Mudd, Principles of Finance; Layla Lacefield and Jillian Pierce, Community Giving Project.
Placing 3rd were Zachary Pierce, Hotel and Lodging Management; Carter Bernard, Sports and Entertainment Marketing; Alaina Mudd and Jadia Plant, Travel and Tourism Marketing; Heaven Basham and Riley Swanberg, Hospitality Services.
Justin Gray and Brody Lambert took 5th place in the Sports and Entertainment Marketing Team event.
At State, William Johnston and Connor Lee took 1st Place honors in Business Law & Ethics.
In 2nd Place were Maggie Shepherd, Apparel & Accessories Marketing; Piper Mangan, Hospitality & Tourism Professional Selling; Tate Cain, Amelia Hayes and Raylee Shepherd, Financial Literacy Project; and Layla Lacefield and Jillian Pierce, Community Giving Project. Houston Brooks took 3rd Place in Business Finance.
Landon Lowrey 5th in Automotive Services Marketing, Daniel Ratley, 6th for Community Awareness Project, and Brack Allen, 8th for Principles of Entrepreneurship. Zachary Pierce was an Event Finalist in the Hotel and Lodging Management event.
Also earning a slot at State were Carter Bernard, Sports and Entertainment Marketing; Alaina Mudd and Jadia Plant; Travel and Tourism Marketing; Heaven Basham and Riley Swanberg, Hospitality Services; Sophia Butler and Lillian Lowrey, Buying and Merchandising; Alyssa and Alisabeth Merrifield, Start-Up Business Plan; and Brody Glutting, Entrepreneurship Series.
The top three state finishers qualify for ICDC competition. In addition, Brack Allen and Brody Glutting will represent GCHS DECA at the leadership-focused Thrive Academy at Nationals.