DECA traveled to Corpus Christi on Feb. 28 to participate in the DECA State Conference and compete for a spot at the International Career Development Conference or ICDC in Anaheim, CA Apr. 24-28. Sophomore Sara Samani and junior Victoria Richter will be representing CP in this upcoming competition.

Three other contestants were recognized as alternates: sophomore Lauren Kriss, junior Alyssa Phillips, and senior DECA President Courtney Norris. DECA Advisor Kimberley Stapleton is impressed with this year’s outcome.

“We did really well in the areas we had control over,” Stapleton said.

Although the entire CPHS DECA team did remarkably well, Samani and Richter are the only ones advancing to ICDC. Pals like Norris, who competed in the Apparel and Accessories Marketing Role Play event, were excited to see them win, especially Sara since this was her second time competing.

“I was so happy for her because I knew she had been working on her presentation since last summer,” Norris said.

Her state-winning presentation, Samani says, is a true labor of love and she’s far from done preparing.

“[Since summer] until the end of February I have been constantly tweaking, perfecting, practicing, and practice, practice, practice is my goal from now until internationals,” Samani said.

According to Stapleton, Richter and Samani’s success along with the other club member’s passion has pushed her too strive even harder next year.

“The way the group has bonded this year and the passion that has been ignited in my students is driving me,” Stapleton said.

Stapleton plans to increase DECA’s community outreach as well as maintain DECA’s active social calendar while putting extra effort into next year’s competition.

“I want to take the results from this year and strategize, so I can take more people to ICDC and not have so many alternates,” Stapleton said.

Samani, who competed in Entrepreneurship Innovation Plan, wants to focus on preparing the whole team and helping them as well as competing herself.

“Next year I plan to form additional collaborative groups to help all of us better prepare for competition,” Samani said.

Richter, who will compete in Advertising Campaign, hopes to inspire next year’s competition team too.

“I hope to occupy a leadership position and draw other individuals into competing as well,” Richter said.

Until then, Richter is focusing on winning International’s, even if that means practicing her speech seven times a day.

“This is my dream, my future, and my passion. So anything less than winning will be disappointing,” Richter said.