Superintendent Jeffrey Marsden is pleased to share that five Medfield High School (MHS) students traveled to compete in the Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) International Career Development Conference (ICDC) in Anaheim, California.
DECA is a nonprofit organization that prepares young leaders and entrepreneurs for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management. DECA serves both high school and college students, with over 250,000 members and 3,900 chapters internationally.
DECA offers more than 50 competitive event options to students, including scenario-based roleplay events, written projects, and campaign presentations. Professional fields students can compete within include management, human resources, marketing, finance, tourism, and entrepreneurship, among others.
From Saturday, April 27, to Tuesday, April 30, over 15,000 high school students from across the globe gathered to participate in the ICDC. As part of the conference, students sit for business-focused exams, compete in their field of interest, and attend the ICDC Leadership Conference.
Medfield High School has participated in DECA for five years. Business teacher Karen Shaffer is the group’s advisor. This year, five students qualified to participate in the ICDC: sophomore Sam George, junior Claire Teany, sophomore Jack Gibson, junior Eva LaRowe, and junior Austin Shaffer.
To qualify for the conference, students must place as a finalist in a statewide DECA competition. Medfield students competed against 4,000 competitors from 120 high schools across Massachusetts prior to competing in the ICDC.
Juniors Eva LaRowe and Claire Teany competed for the second time at the International DECA level in Buying & Merchandising Team Decision Making. Sophomore Sam George competed in Quick Service Restaurant Management. Sophomore Jack Gibson and Junior Austin Shaffer engaged in the ICDC Leadership Academy, sharing best practices and developing their leadership skills and scope.
The conference allowed Medfield students to network with other students, visit college- and career-related exhibits, and explore local businesses and beaches.
“It’s amazing how our DECA team students develop their critical thinking, creative strategy, and presentation skills throughout the DECA season,” said Shaffer. “We are proud of their commitment to excellence and their terrific ability to design and pitch various solutions.”
“Congratulations to the DECA International team on their remarkable achievement and to all of our students who participated in this year’s competitive season,” said Superintendent Marsden. “I am looking forward to seeing what great things these young professionals will achieve in the future.”
Superintendent Marsden and Shaffer thank the Medfield teachers, local business owners, and parents who serve as DECA judges for district and state competitions: Nick Iannone, James LaRowe, Kerry Lynch, Stephanie Pollard, Jim Ryan, Doug Teany, Bonnie Wren-Burgess, Eric Vaden, and Joanna Zehme.
