Republic High School DECA members compete at international conference

Seven students from the Republic School District competed at the annual DECA International Career Development Conference held April 22-27, 2022 in Atlanta, Ga. The students qualified for the competition after placing in state competitions designed to simulate real-life business scenarios.

ICDC qualifiers were Lauren Chastain,Tanna Fulks, Hayden Hradek, Paige Missey, Rylee Moorefield, Ayden O’Connor and Lucas Owen.

DECA members compete in various categories involving tests, presentations and realistic business circumstances that are designed to gauge students’ academic understanding and skills development. The top performers from schools across the country put their talents to the test during the final round of competition.

The DECA International Career Development Conference was the pinnacle of competition, where a record number of students—nearly 17,000—fought for international honors. More than $300,000 in scholarships and awards were presented to students and teachers for their achievements.

All RHS students finished in the top 25 percent of their event and received a DECA Award of Excellence.

Republic High School senior Fulks was invited to a special celebration at Governor Parson's Mansion on May 17. The guests of honor were Missouri students who were finalists or better at the International Career Development Conference. The international contest is the most competitive contest for DECA members, who study business, leadership and marketing in their DECA high school classrooms.

"At this reception, Tanna was recognized for her accomplishments at ICDC and was presented with a proclamation from her state representative," said Ronda Middleton, DECA advisor and marketing/business teacher at Republic High School. "I couldn’t be more proud of her for her accomplishments and how well she represented our RHS DECA chapter."

Fulks was an overall finalist in Apparel and Accessories Individual Series. She also received a medal and certificate for having the highest score for Role Play #2 in her event.

DECA is an international association of high school students studying marketing, management and entrepreneurship in business, finance, hospitality, and marketing sales and service. More than 180,000 students from the United States, Canada, Guam, Puerto Rico, China, Poland, Mexico, Spain, Germany, and the Virgin Islands are involved in this organization.