Buchholz DECA students win state awards, qualify for international competition
Press release from Alachua County Public Schools
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Buchholz High School students from the Academy of Entrepreneurship recently competed at the Florida DECA Career Development Conference with impressive results. Altogether, 41 of the 111 students won recognition and are eligible to compete at the International DECA conference in April. At the State conference, approximately 3,000 students from across Florida gathered in Orlando to compete in fifty different events during the four-day conference, with 30 to 50 students competing in each event.
The Buchholz DECA chapter received the Gold Chapter Award, which is recognition based on the planning and completion of activities around Outreach, Networking, and Engagement. Buchholz DECA also earned the highest “Thrive” Level for the DECA Membership and Chapter Campaigns. Buchholz also boasts two Gold Level School Based Enterprises (SBEs): one for its retail store “Spirit Spot” and the other for its Food “Café.” Two teams will compete at the DECA International Career Development Conference against Gold Level SBEs from around the world.
DECA is an international student organization that prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management in high schools and colleges around the globe. Buchholz DECA chapter advisors are Wendy Rosché and Terry Hoffer.
Competitive event winners were:
- 1st Place – Community Giving Project: Anna Tomlinson and Tommy Sheridan
- 2nd Place – Sales Project: Katie Lathem, Karis Harper, Oliver Dowling
- 3rd Place – Principles of Entrepreneurship: Milena Masters
- 3rd Place – Entrepreneurship Team Decision Making: McKenna Hantak and Noah Perez
- 4th Place – Financial Literacy Project :Emma Dorosheff, Ansley Sherrard, Mara Tilley
- 6th Place – Financial Literacy Project: Raelyn Henson, Isabela Caicedo, Paloma Dudas
- 6th Place – Business Law & Ethics Team: Bryce Gillingham and Jayda Cooper
- 6th Place – Human Resources Management: Halle Spiwak
- 7th Place – Principles of Finance: Jenna Narveson
- 7th Place – Business Growth Plan: Quinlan Richmond
- 7th Place – Sales Project: Jaite Howell, Finn Mangan, Julia Wicke
- 7th Place – Marketing Management Team: Michaela George and Lily Vaillancourt
- 8th Place – Principles of Hospitality: Sailor Thomas
- 8th Place – Career Development Project: Gracie Werner, Ellis Warm, Audrey Lee
- 8th Place – Business Solutions Project: Thalia Brandes, Lillian Ho, Jullian Madambra
- 8th Place – Buying and Merchandising Operations: Alexander Harris and Paul Mishoe
- Qualified – Entrepreneurship Series: Rebekah Brown
- Qualified – Entrepreneurship Team Decision Making: Hana McGlynn and Marley Selph
- Qualified – Automotive Services Marketing: Hunter Hazen
- Gold SBE- Retail: Anabel Soto and Gabe Myers
- Gold SBE- Food: Xavier Tatten and Zakiyah Williams