On March 1-3, Lightridge’s Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) state qualifiers attended the State Leadership Conference (SLC), in Virginia Beach.

DECA is a club open to students enrolled in a marketing elective, and according to the DECA website, “prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality and management in high schools and colleges around the globe.”

Students participate in a variety of competitions, including role-plays, case studies, prepared events, and simulations.

Most of the qualifiers for SLC were selected based on their performance at the District Leadership Conference (DLC), which took place in December. The top four students from each category qualified. Other students qualified by writing papers based on a timeline set by Lightridge for the written event categories.

Of the 28 SLC qualifiers, 12 placed and qualified for the International Career Development Conference (ICDC), the most qualifiers ever in Lightridge history. At this conference, students will compete against other state winners, as well as international competitors, in their respective categories. ICDC will be held in Anaheim, California, from April 27-30.

Below are the 12 students who qualified for ICDC.