April 8, 2025
Students from Rutherford County Schools showcased their talent, leadership, and business acumen at the Tennessee DECA State Career Development Conference (SCDC) held from February 25-28, 2025, at the Chattanooga Convention Center. DECA, a premier career and technical student organization (CTSO), prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management.
Students from Blackman, Central Magnet, Eagleville, Holloway, LaVergne, Oakland, Riverdale, Rockvale, Siegel, Smyrna, and Stewarts Creek High Schools attended the conference, competing in various events, participating in leadership training, and serving as voting delegates. Their hard work and dedication earned them numerous awards and recognitions across multiple categories.
Written Event Winners
Students competing in DECA’s written events demonstrated their ability to conduct in-depth research and present comprehensive business strategies. Several teams placed in their respective categories, including:
Blackman High School
- Buying and Merchandising Operations Research: 3rd Place (Irvin "McClain" Turner, Isabel Kinsmen, Granville Brothers)
- Finance Operations Research: 4th Place (Aiylora Bennett, Sara Bratko)
- Community Awareness Project: 4th Place (Carlee Beam, Carrigan Catron, Robert Fitzsimmons)
- Financial Literacy Project: 4th Place (Owen Abbott, Connor Basham, Abigail George)
- Independent Business Plan: 4th Place (Charleigh Ann Catron, Jumana Hanna, Zachary Taylor)
- Franchise Business Plan: 1st Place (Khalil Himbir, Kyler Anthony, Kaden Bush)
- Integrated Marketing Campaign-Event: 4th Place (Krish Patel, Nikolas McVay, Spencer Hebel)
Central Magnet School
- Business Services Operations Research: 5th Place (Auricle Morgan, Madisen Stanley)
- Hospitality and Tourism Operations Research: 5th Place (Bailey Floyd, Kirsten Pike)
- Integrated Marketing Campaign-Product: 3rd Place (Patrick Cowart, Kamila Kamili, Cindy Yang)
- Integrated Marketing Campaign-Service: 3rd Place (Patricia Le, Kiley Livingston, Addison McCammon)
- Financial Literacy Project: 1st Alternate (Jessica Boakye, Kwatema Sarpong-Asiedu)
Oakland High School
- Integrated Marketing Campaign-Event: 2nd Place (Addison Nunley, Airess Kuilan)
Riverdale High School
- Sports and Entertainment Operations Research: National Qualifier (Cooper Moore, Josiah Davenport, Justin Price)
Stewarts Creek High School
- Hospitality and Tourism Operations Research: 1st Place (Noah Hancock, Elijah Miller, Ella Schrems)
- Sales Project: 1st Place (Bennett Baldwin, Kate Knight, Shelby Mangrum)
- Finance Operations Research: 7th Place (Zidane Ahmed, Mustafa Akram, Amare Bellamy)
- International Business Plan: 6th Place (Izaiah Carter, Feben Desalegn, Addison Retzlaff)
- Sports and Entertainment Marketing Operations Research: 6th Place (A’Darien Davis, Marcel Gordon, Grady Harvey)
Roleplay and Case Study Event Winners
DECA’s roleplay and case study events test students’ ability to think critically and apply business concepts in real-time. Notable achievements include:
Blackman High School
- Sports and Marketing Team Decision Making: 5th Place (Caroline Norman, Keira Hawker)
Central Magnet School
- Principles of Business Management and Administration: 2nd Alternate (Aubrey Lee)
- Principles of Entrepreneurship: 2nd Place, 3rd Roleplay (Abigail Alemayehu)
- Principles of Finance: 1st Place, 1st Roleplay, 3rd Exam (Hollis Jackson)
- Principles of Finance: 2nd Place, 3rd Roleplay (Alice Wang)
- Principles of Hospitality and Tourism: 5th Place, 3rd Exam (Liam Arcos)
- Principles of Marketing: 1st Place, 2nd Roleplay (Ana Linares)
- Automotive Services Marketing Series: 2nd Place, 1st Roleplay (Ben Hogan)
- Personal Financial Literacy: 6th Place, 3rd Exam (Matias Carmona)
- Business Finance Series: 4th Place, 2nd Exam (Anirudh Kodukula)
- Restaurant and Food Service Management Series: 1st Place, 1st Roleplay, 2nd Roleplay (Kyle Carter)
- Business Law and Ethics Team Decision Making: 5th Place, 1st Roleplay (Hunter Higgs & Ava Ward)
- Entrepreneurship Series: 3rd Place, 2nd Roleplay (Daniel Lee)
- Buying & Merchandising Team Decision Making: 3rd Place Roleplay, 2nd Alternate (Willa Cook & Ashtyn Patterson)
- Financial Consulting Event: 5th Place, 2nd Exam (Kayla Markwei)
- Human Resources Management Series: 2nd Place, 1st Roleplay, 2nd Roleplay, 2nd Exam (Liya Beyene)
- Professional Selling Event: 5th Place, 3rd Exam (Rhucha Chawathe)
- Sports and Entertainment Series: 2nd Exam (Parker Griffin)
- Sports and Entertainment Series: 3rd Exam (Aryan Seerum)
- Travel and Tourism Decision Making: 1st Place (Molly Bartsch, Breanna Gonzalez)
Eagleville School
- Travel and Tourism Team Decision Making: National Qualifier (Kade Wilson, Mallory Lawyer)
- Principles of Entrepreneurship: National Qualifier (Lawson Latta)
- Retail and Merchandising Series: National Qualifier (Coco Vongphakdy)
- Hotel and Lodging Management Series: 1st Roleplay (Layla Denton)
- Apparel and Accessories Series: 3rd Exam (Lily Rankin)
- Marketing Communications Series: 1st Exam (Marissa Tatum)
- Personal Financial Literacy: 1st Exam (Ava Armstrong)
Oakland High School
- Automative Services Marketing Series: 6th Place (Sophie James)
Stewarts Creek High School
- Accounting Application Series: 3rd Place (Parker Mathis)
- Principles of Marketing: 3rd Place (Caleb Hicks)
- Buying and Merchandising Team Decision Making: (Carter Jackson, Kirolos Mekhail)
- Restaurant and Food Service Management Series: 10th Place (Aaron Dessie)
Siegel High School Earns Gold-Level SBE Certification
Siegel High School’s school-based enterprise, The Siegel Store, has achieved Gold-Level Certification for the 2024-2025 school year, an esteemed recognition awarded by DECA. The certification process involved extensive documentation, demonstrating the store’s adherence to marketing and retail standards. This achievement qualifies Siegel High School for recognition at DECA’s International Career Development Conference in April, where they will be honored for their excellence in entrepreneurial education.
The Siegel Store operates as a student-managed business, providing hands-on learning experiences in marketing, finance, and business operations. By integrating classroom instruction with practical application, students develop critical skills necessary for careers in business and entrepreneurship. This Gold-Level Certification acknowledges their commitment to excellence and innovation in the school-based enterprise model.
Leadership Academy Participants
The #BeTheOne Leadership Academy provided students the opportunity to develop leadership skills, enhance their DECA chapters, and engage with industry leaders. The following students participated:
- Blackman High School– Leah Rosner, Marley Qualls, Samuel Santiago
- Central Magnet School– Helina Ambaye, Ben Bartsch, Rebecca Fernandez, Kirubel Fikre, Sadie Gordon, Laina Hoens, Cing Lian, Danika Shiomitsu, Walter Wylie
- Oakland High School– Miles Daugherty, Kate Moreno Torres, Natalie Nelson, Wesley Richard
- Smyrna High School– Hani Hayilu, Stephen Arevalo
- Stewarts Creek High School– Jonah Emmanuel, Jonathan Hadley, Kalea Johnson, Bryson Moore, London Parham, Arthur Sharp, Cade Vogel
These students gained valuable insights into leadership, teamwork, and community involvement, further strengthening their roles within their local DECA chapters.
Voting Delegates
As part of DECA’s governance, students represented their schools as voting delegates, helping to shape the future of Tennessee DECA. Students representing their schools as voting delegates included:
- Blackman High School – Leah Rosner, Marley Qualls
- Eagleville High School – Olivia Mullins, Lauren Wingler
- Oakland High School – Nikrah Gyamfi, Monique Savage
- Smyrna High School – Hani Hayilu
- Stewarts Creek High School – Kalea Johnson, Jonah Emmanuel
Looking Ahead
With these outstanding achievements, many students from Rutherford County Schools have qualified to compete at the DECA International Career Development Conference (ICDC) in Orlando, Florida, from April 26-29, 2025. They will compete against top students from across the nation, further developing their leadership, entrepreneurship, and business skills.
Rutherford County Schools is incredibly proud of these students and their advisors for their dedication and success at the Tennessee DECA State Career Development Conference. Their accomplishments highlight the district’s commitment to fostering future leaders in business and entrepreneurship.
For more information about DECA and its impact on student success, visit www.deca.org.