Twenty Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) middle and high school students finished first or second at the DECA State Career Development Conference.

     Dr. Kyle Jones, GCPS director of Academies and Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education, shares, “These students demonstrate what we hope to see in all our GCPS graduates and emulate the competencies of our Portrait of a Graduate—empathy, critical thinking, communication, adaptability, collaborative leadership, and resourcefulness. Career Technical Student Organizations are vital extensions to the student experience, acting as external laboratories for students to apply and develop durable, lifelong employability skills. Students who choose a CTAE pathway often have the opportunity to engage in these co-curricular organizations that provide a platform to compete among their peers across the state and even nationally while also developing valuable leadership skills as a CTSO chapter officer.”

     DECA is an international association of high school and college students that prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management. Through DECA, GCPS students participate in leadership development activities and compete in various international events.

The winning students are:

School	Student	Results	Competition Category
North Gwinnett MS	Madison Chong	2nd Place	MPMK: MS Only- Principles of Marketing
North Gwinnett MS	Riya Patel	1st Place	MSM: Middle School Marketing Testing
North Gwinnett HS	Katherina Traykova	1st Place	Automotive Services
North Gwinnett HS	Taylor Cottengim	1st Place	Principles of Hospitality & Tourism
North Gwinnett HS	Katherina Traykova	1st Place	Buying & Merchandising Testing
Shiloh HS	Naa Korkoi Martins / Shriya Patel	1st Place	Financial Services Team Decision-Making
Grayson HS	Lena Tata	1st Place	Theme Speech
Grayson HS	Christopher Bush & Rishi Patel	2nd Place	Pin Lapel Design
Paul Duke STEM HS	Myra Wu	2nd Place	Human Resources Management
Mill Creek HS	Esther Jung	1st Place	Accounting Applications
Mill Creek HS	Lexi Tinker	1st Place	Sports & Entertainment Operations Research
Mill Creek HS	Isabella Hoge	1st Place	Sports & Entertainment Operations Research
Mill Creek HS	Maggie Romeo	1st Place	Sports & Entertainment Operations Research
Mountain View HS	Diego Cruz	2nd Place	Principles of Business Management & Administration
Peachtree Ridge HS	Priyanka Mitra	2nd Place	Business Law & Ethics
Peachtree Ridge HS	Trent Morrow	2nd Place	Business Law & Ethics