Two GCS students to compete in DECA world conference

GREENVILLE―Earlier this month, three members of the Greenville Central School District’s newly established DECA Club competed at the state competition in Rochester. They included Alannah MacDonald-Katz (11th Grade), Nicole Chase (12th Grade), and Isabella Acker (9th Grade).

Two students earned a spot to compete against 25,000 students from around the world at the organization's most elite competition: the International Career Development Conference (ICDC).

MacDonald-Katz competed in the Restaurant and Food Management Services category, taking home sixth place in the state and earning herself a spot at the ICDC.

Chase earned a perfect role-play score in the Business Finance Series and was recognized as an emerging leader, setting her up to participate in ICDC Aspire Academy.

DECA, formerly Distributive Education Clubs of America, is a high school student organization that prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs through hands-on experiences in business, marketing, finance, and hospitality.

At GCS, it is led by high school computer/business teacher Matthew Lacy.

Students develop real-world skills such as leadership, teamwork, and career readiness while connecting classroom learning to practical applications and community involvement. Additionally, students can compete academically against other schools at the local, state, and national levels.

The state competition featured 3,000 high school competitors from over 100 DECA chapters across the state. The top five percent of each performance event qualified to attend the International Career Development Conference at the end of April in Atlanta, GA.