In the context of DECA competitions, “districts” are essentially the first level of competition. These districts are organized geographically, and students compete against others in their region. The purpose of these district-level events is to provide participants with an initial competitive experience and a chance to showcase their skills before potentially moving on to higher levels of competition.

District competitions usually involve a variety of events, including role-plays, case studies, and prepared presentations in areas like marketing, finance, hospitality, and management. The top performers at the district level earn the opportunity to advance to the state-level competitions, and from there, they can qualify for national and international DECA events.

Participants in district competitions can gain valuable feedback, experience, and networking opportunities, all while honing their skills in a competitive but supportive environment.

Here at Orange, we competed in our DECA District Competition this past January. We had several participants that placed in the top 4 of their respective individual events, advancing to the state competition… 

Ryan Phillips, a junior who placed second for Principles of Business Management and Administration.

Aneeka Lengade, a junior who placed second for Principles of Entrepreneurship. 

Olivia Rupp, a junior who placed fourth for Principles of Hospitality and Tourism. 

Sofia Rodenfels, a junior who placed first for Apparel & Accessories Marketing Series. 

Lauren Petrasko, a senior who placed second for Apparel & Accessories Marketing Series. 

Ryan Mague, a junior who placed fourth for Business Finance Series. 

Dane Barcalow, a junior who placed fourth for Entrepreneurship Series. 

Joslin Chacko, a senior who placed fourth for Food Marketing Series. 

Angelina Chacko, a junior who placed fourth for Principles of Marketing. 

Linden Marin, a junior who placed first for Marketing Communication Series.

Kriyanshi Shukla, a junior who placed first for Retail Merchandising Series.  

Brooks Hamilton, a senior who placed first for Sports and Entertainment Marketing Series. 

Grace Abner, a senior who placed first for Personal Financial Literacy.

Jacksen Bice, a senior who placed second for Financial Consulting. 

Jakob Ames, a junior advancing in Principles of Hospitality. 

We also had a few teams who placed at the top of their event, advancing to the state competition.

Vincent Francisco and Nicholas Jonckheer, two seniors who placed second for Marketing Management Team Decision Making.

Colin McNamara, Devin Brown, and Ellis Appiah, three seniors who placed first for Innovation Plan.

Not pictured… 

David Edwards, a junior who placed second and advancing for Accounting Applications Series. 

Sanjana Putrevu, a junior who placed third and advancing for Principles of Finance.

Poorvi Pareek, a senior who placed first for Human Resource Management Series, but is participating in a prepared event at state competition. 

Camille Ramey, a junior who placed fourth for Hotel and Lodging Management Series, but not participating in state competition. 

Our students’ outstanding performance at the DECA district competition is a testament to their hard work, dedication, and exceptional skills. Their achievements not only highlight individual talents, but also bring pride to our entire school community.

As we look forward to the state-level competitions, we remain confident that our participants will continue to excel and make us proud. In addition to the students mentioned above that qualified through districts, many of our Orange DECA members are competing in a variety of other prepared events. Congrats to those that had district success and good luck to those on the journey to state and national DECA competitions!

Go Orange DECA!