Recently, DECA students attended the state competition in Hershey, PA and brought home several awards.

Overall, ten students got first place, ten got second place, three got third place, six got fourth place, and two got fifth place.

On the first day the students arrived, Tuesday, Feb. 24, they had to take tests for the competition. There were booths set up so students could see who was running for state officers. This year, senior Tara Nath served as the PA DECA state president.

Wednesday, Feb. 25 was when the competition really started. Students had to perform role plays or presentations for the competition. They also had to attend workshops about leadership and business. Later that night, there was a mini awards ceremony for people who scored the highest on their role plays and tests.

On Wednesday and Thursday, there was also a DECA dance.

Thursday, Feb. 26 was the final day of this competition. They had the final awards ceremony, where a plethora of BPHS students were presented with trophies and awards. Many of the students qualified for the international competition in Orlando, FL this April.

One student who attended this competition was senior Maura Ellsworth. This was her second year attending the competition, and she had one of the top role plays, placed 4th in her event, and qualified for the international competition.

Ellsworth said, “This was my most memorable DECA experience. I made so many memories with my friends and everyone there well-represented Bethel Park. We had over 20 people qualify for Nationals, which is the most ever.”

Congratulations to everyone who attended the competition, and good luck to those qualified for Orlando!