Lake Oconee Academy students recently demonstrated professionalism, preparation and confidence at the Georgia DECA Region 9 Competition, held Friday, December 6. With nearly 200 students registered from across the region, six competitors proudly represented LOA with four of those earning top placements and advancing to the Georgia DECA State Career Development Conference in February.
DECA prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality, management and entrepreneurship. At the regional level, students are challenged through a combination of written and performance-based assessments. Competitors complete a 100-question industry exam in advance, and then participate in a live role play scenario where they are given just 10 minutes to prepare before presenting solutions to a judge and demonstrating key performance indicators.
LOA students rose to the challenge with impressive results:
•Hal Strickland & Ronin Gibson – Sports & Entertainment Team Decision Making
•Beth Harris – Principles of Hospitality & Tourism (3rd Place)
•Nicole Wang – Principles of Business Management & Administration (2nd Place)
•Brenlee Brown – Principles of Entrepreneurship (4th Place)
•Alley McCullough – Principles of Marketing (4th Place)
Beth Harris, Nicole Wang, Brenlee Brown and Alley McCullough will advance to compete at the Georgia DECA State Career Development Conference, held February 26–28 in Atlanta.
At the state level, competition expands to include additional event categories, many of which are prepared events requiring students to write business plans, partner with local businesses, research real world challenges, and propose innovative solutions. These events emphasize applied learning, collaboration and communication skills that directly translate to future college and career success.
“We are incredibly proud of our DECA students for their hard work and determination,” said DECA Advisor Kati Mize, who serves as LOA’s Work-Based Learning Coordinator and Business/Marketing Education Teacher. “They represented Lake Oconee Academy with professionalism and confidence, and we’re excited to see them continue growing at the state level.”
Congratulations to all our DECA competitors on an outstanding first competition, and best of luck to our four students advancing to State. Way to lead, Titans!