LAHS International Career Development Conference Qualifiers include, from left, Cassidy Jimenez, Melayna Morrison, Joshua Moulton, Brian Han and Ryan Zeik. (Not pictured, Connor Tepley and Paetyn Miller. Photo by Maria Anghel
LAPS News:
Eight Los Alamos High School (LAHS) students have qualified to participate in the International DECA Conference.
Junior Brian Han, and seniors Cassidy Jimenez, Paetyn Miller, Melayna Morrison, Joshua Moulton, Connor Tepley, and Ryan Zeik will participate in the International DECA Competitive Events in April at the International Career Development Conference (ICDC) in Atlanta, Ga.
Amarissa Archuleta also will attend the conference representing LAHS in the DECA Emerging Leader Series Elevate training.
Five of these students ranked in the top three scores in the Individual Series category in the New Mexico State DECA Competition:
- Cassidy Jimenez won first place for Restaurant and Food Service Management;
- Ryan Zeik won first place for Business Services Marketing;
- Brian Han won second place in Business Financial Services;
- Joshua Moulton won second place for Entrepreneurship;
- Melayna Morrison placed third for Hotel and Lodging Management and
Connor Tepley and Paetyn Miller placed fourth in the Hospitality and Tourism Team Decision Making event.
Additionally, Brian Han, Cassidy Jimenez and Nicholas Usov received a special recognition for top scores on their State written tests.
Forty-three LAHS DECA students participated in the District One written test competition. Students from fifteen high schools completed two 100-question written tests at the district level. Testing categories included Marketing, Entrepreneurship, Business Management, Hospitality and Tourism, and Finance.
Students with the top eight scores in each category advance to the State level.
Cassidy Jimenez and Joshua Moulton received special recognition for placing first and third, respectively, on the District Curriculum Exam.
Thirty-eight LAHS students initially qualified to advance to the state competition, where students from twenty-four New Mexico High Schools compete for the opportunity to participate in the International Competition. Twenty-three LAHS students chose to continue to the State level. These students completed an additional one hundred question written test and participated in a live “role play” scenario at the State DECA conference.
Seventeen LAHS students advanced in the competition as New Mexico State Finalists. These students then participated in an additional “role play”. The top three finalists in each category advanced to the international competition.
“I am very proud of all of the DECA students. They began preparing for the competitions when school resumed last fall,” LAHS DECA Advisor Dr. Sharon Hurley said. “I continue to be inspired by their dedication and accomplishments. I am confident these students will represent Los Alamos High School very well at the international competition. We are grateful to LAHS Administrators and Los Alamos Public Schools District Office for their continued support of the DECA program.”
The international competition is part of the 2022 International Career Development Conference hosted by the DECA organization. The conference, held in Atlanta, Georgia in April, will bring 20,000 high school students, advisors, DECA alumni and business people together to discuss preparing for college and careers in business.
About DECA:
DECA is an international organization dedicated to providing opportunities for students to participate in leadership training and career pathways conferences in the fields of marketing, finance, business management, and hospitality and tourism. Additionally, DECA provides students with experience in interviewing and networking with other students from around the globe who have similar career interests. DECA also offers merit-based scholarships for participating students.
