Last week, 32 Smithtown DECA students from Smithtown High Schools East and West who qualified, headed to the DECA International Career Conference in Anaheim, California. Only they didn’t just participate in the conference, they dominated the competition. Out of the 19,000 students who qualified nationwide, to participate, five Smithtown students took home serious honors.
Students from Smithtown High Schools East and West Shown here: are finalists and scholarship winners (from left): Anya Ording (HSW), Rachel Chapman (HSW), Eric Zhang (HSE), Courtney Grafstein (HSW) and Kathy Anderson (HSE).
From Smithtown High School East
Eric Zhang was named a finalist in the Business Finance competition.
Kathy Anderson received the prestigious M& M Scholarship from National DECA.
From Smithtown High School West
Anya Ording was named a finalist and top 10 overall finalist in the Principles of Marketing event
Rachel Chapman and Courtney Grafstein in the Public Relations event were finalists and top 10 overall finalists for their anti-bullying campaign.
In order to qualify for the DECA International Career Conference, students must first place at the State level competition, which was held this March in Rochester. The students who qualify to attend are selected based on superior performance at the school district and DECA association level. More than 1,000 business professionals serve as expert judges to evaluate DECA members’ mastery of these concepts. The conference give students the opportunity to meet with incredible corporate partners, college/universities and vendors. They also get to spend four days touring Southern California, exploring many exciting sights and taking advantage of exciting tourism experiences.