District DECA Competition
Approximately 500 high school students from schools in Alamance, Chatham, Durham, Granville, Lee, and Orange counties participated in a district DECA competition on Thursday, November 21, at the Wicker Civic Center in Sanford. The Chatham Charter brought over 50 chapter members.
In addition to a written test taken prior to the competition, each competitor participated in a role play using a real world scenario as part of the event. The 2024 district competitions were: Principles of Business Management and Administration, Sports and Entertainment Marketing, Quick Serve Restaurant Management, and Retail Merchandising Series. After having a short time to prepare, each student presented their plan to a judge, who also took on a role within the event scenario. Volunteers from a wide variety of career fields served as event judges. The scores students earned were a combination of test and role play scores.
Chatham Charter award winners:
Retail Merchandising Series
Top Role Play: Maddie Teague, Abigail Steele
Top Exam Score: Kaitlyn Evans, Adam Reese, Maddie Teague
Top 10 overall: Maddie Teague (1st), Kaitlyn Evans (3rd), Jordyn Garner, Olivia Meza
Sports and Entertainment Marketing
Top Role Play: Maggie Moody
Quick Serve Restaurant Management
Top Role Play: Eli Christenbury, Addyson Foushee, Halle Rodriguez
Top Exam Score: Eli Christenbury
Top 10 overall: Eli Christenbury, Addyson Foushee
Chatham Charter DECA students participate in competitions at the district, state and international levels every year. Additionally, members run the Castle Cafe and Castle Creations, a new student-run apparel business. DECA prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs in marketing, finance, hospitality and management in high schools and colleges around the globe.
The school’s DECA chapter will now begin preparing for the state competition in February.