Plymouth Whitemarsh High School sent six DECA students to nationals

Six Plymouth Whitemarsh High School (PWHS) students recently joined DECA members from across the globe to compete at the DECA International Career Department Conference in Orlando, Florida.

Jonah Reid, Addison Stein, Eliza Meersman, Logan Nye, Jason Walters, and Ethan Gold qualified for the prestigious event by placing in the top seven finishers at the state competition in April. 

At the district, state, and national level, Jonah Reid displayed his understanding of Food Marketing through his performance on 100-question exams and interviews with judges from the industry. “The event gave me a great opportunity to demonstrate my marketing knowledge in a professional setting, helping me practice key career skills,” he said.

The other students worked in teams on long-term group projects where they worked directly with an organization, determined a problem, created a solution to that problem, and documented the journey for judging. 

In the Business Solutions category, Ethan Gold, Jason Walters, and Logan Nye teamed up with PWHS’s Life Skills class to help improve sales for the school store. The trio created a new website, rebuilt the store’s social media, and ordered new inventory. “The most rewarding part of the project was walking around school and seeing people wearing the merchandise knowing we have had a positive impact on others,” said Ethan.

Eliza Meersman and Addie Stein completed a Community Giving project where they raised money and supplies for a dog rescue. “Not only were we able to strengthen our project management skills, we were also able to give back to a cause that we’re super passionate about,” said Eliza. “It was so rewarding to see our impact on the rescue, and we were so grateful to receive support from so many people in our community.” 

Beth Rickard, DECA sponsor and business teacher, believes the students are successful at DECA events because of their passion. ”I enjoy working with the DECA students because they learn so much about themselves in the process of competing, and I've seen so many of them find their pathways through DECA,” she said. “ I've never had a student tell me they regretted doing DECA, but I have had them tell me they regretted not doing DECA.”  

The DECA International Career Department Conference also offered sessions through DECA’s Emerging Leader Series, which helped students work on collaboration and teamwork, communication, critical thinking, problem solving, and creativity. There were also opportunities to talk with executive mentors who can provide college and career advice. 

“My biggest takeaway from the national competition was that I was able to see so many other projects which inspired me and sparked creative ideas for next year” said PWHS DECA member Eliza Meersman. “Additionally, meeting people from all over the world allowed me to expand my networking skills and create valuable connections.”