Lincoln Public Schools students closed a series of successful academic transactions this spring in Atlanta.

Future business professionals from East, Southeast and Southwest expanded their skillsets at the DECA International Career Development Conference (ICDC). They participated in a series of business contests, leadership seminars and career exploration events during the convention, which took place at the Georgia World Congress Center.

Nebraska DECA State Advisor Carol Malcolm said the LPS students joined a large group of Nebraskans who excelled in Atlanta. ICDC contestants who posted a combined total score of 70 percent or better on all components of their competitive events earned a Certificate of Excellence designation. This year, 126 students representing 21 Nebraska DECA chapters collected the honor.

“Attending ICDC was an incredible opportunity for our students to grow professionally, build confidence and connect with students and business leaders from across the globe,” Malcolm said. “We are proud of how they represented their schools, communities and the state of Nebraska on the international stage.”

Southeast

Seven Knights traveled to Georgia for their business trip. Beau Cassell, Jack Cassell, Annika Srivastav, Emma Bornhoft and Jaxon Fittje competed in ICDC events, and Lauren Martinez and Ben Fikar represented the school in leadership seminars.

The Cassell brothers advanced to the final stage of their ICDC contest. They finished in the top 20 spots of the Sports and Entertainment Marketing Team Decision Making category.

“It was exciting to see the results after spending so much time preparing,” Jack said. “It was also a lot of fun to compete alongside my twin brother. We have always competed together, but ICDC was by far our favorite competition, and being able to experience it together made it even better.”

“We put a lot of time into test and role play preparation,” Beau said. “It was rewarding to see months of practice and preparation pay off. I also enjoyed getting to watch some of our newer members experience ICDC for the first time. Seeing their excitement throughout the conference reminded me why DECA is such a special organization.”

Southeast business teacher Jessica Christensen accompanied the school’s delegation to Atlanta in her role as DECA chapter advisor. She said she was thrilled to watch the Cassell brothers achieve a successful result. Both have been active in many career and technical student organizations (CTSO) at Southeast.

“Proud is too common a word to describe how Jack and Beau made an impact on Southeast DECA,” Christensen said. “They are the true definition of a student leader and showed ways to increase involvement, involve all students and grow the club for future years.”

Beau and Jack said their time in DECA taught them valuable lessons about teamwork.

“One thing I learned from our different projects throughout this year is that the best ideas don’t come from one person,” Beau said. “Our chapter grew quite a bit this year, so we tried to get more people involved in conversations and decision-making, and some of our best ideas came from members who hadn’t always spoken up before. Everyone brings different perspectives, and when you put them together, you end up with something much stronger than any one person could have created on their own.”

“As a leader in my chapter, one of the most valuable lessons I learned was how to delegate responsibilities effectively,” Jack said. “Early on, this was something I struggled with because I wanted to handle everything myself. Over time, I learned that trusting others and working as a team leads to better results. This is a skill I will continue to use in future leadership roles and throughout my career.”

Bornhoft advanced to the ICDC after winning a state title in the Principles of Finance contest. Srivastav took part in the Retail Merchandising contest, and Fittje competed in the Business Services Marketing category.

East and Southwest

East student Nathan North and Southwest student Ruvim Orlov represented LPS at the Thrive Academy in the DECA Emerging Leader Series. The comprehensive leadership program teaches students about skills such as critical thinking, communication and project implementation.

East teacher Matt Maw and Southwest teacher Allie Thompson traveled with North and Orlov to the conference. Both lead DECA chapters at their schools and have attended multiple ICDC events with their students. Maw said the conference provides a high-quality training experience for everyone interested in business careers.

“It is important for students to have the opportunity to compete in events such as ICDC to apply what they’ve learned in classes, simulate business situations and grow professionally,” Maw said.

Thrive is one of five DECA academies offered at the ICDC. Eligibility to attend Thrive is based on achievement in DECA’s chapter campaigns. Students toured the Chick-Fil-A headquarters in Atlanta, created personal leadership plans and identified the core skills and habits of high-performing leaders in various industries.

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