Orlando, Florida– From Friday April 25th, 2025 to Wednesday April 30th, 2025, over forty-five members from Harker DECA traveled to the International Career Development Conference (ICDC) to compete against DECA members from all over the world. Throughout the conference, students had the opportunity to showcase their business skills in competitive events or sharpen their professionalism through participating in the Emerging Leaders Academy, all while representing California DECA. 

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“ICDC in Orlando was easily one of the most memorable conferences I’ve attended. Our chapter really stepped up this year with everyone putting in the time and energy at every level of the competition. Seeing so many of us make it to ICDC was a great reminder of how much that hard work paid off,” said Maya Affaki (12), Executive Vice President. 

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On Friday, April 25th, students departed from SJC International Airport and spent the day traveling to Orlando, Florida. Once everyone arrived at the hotel, students gathered for a chapter meeting where the chapter-wide activity of ICDC Assasin was announced and a basic conference overview was shared. Following the conclusion of the chapter meeting, everyone settled into their rooms after a long day of travel. 

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On Saturday, April 26th, students had the option to prepare for their events and review for their tests at the hotel or spend the day at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Orlando. 

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“ICDC was an incredible opportunity to connect with DECA members from across the globe. I was able to create lasting memories not only with my friends but also with other conference participants. Through networking and sharing our unique DECA journeys, we were able to create new connections all while enjoying the exciting atmosphere of the park,” said Nicole Dean (10), Director of Engagement. 

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After everyone returned from the parks, Harker DECA attended the California State Meeting where all chapters from the state were recognized. With the conclusion of the event, everyone was excused to attend the Grand Opening Session where all ICDC participants met to kick off the conference. Keynote speaker, Rob Lawless, gave an empowering speech about power of networking and the endless opportunities it can lead to.

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Sunday, April 27th, marked the beginning of competitive events. Students attending for Emerging Leaders began their workshops which continued into the afternoon. Written events that did not require tests presented their plans throughout the day. All other events took tests in their respective clusters: Business Administration Core, Business Management & Administration, Marketing, Finance, Entrepreneurship, Hospitality & Tourism, and Personal Financial Literacy. After exams and presentations, students had free time to socialize, catch up on homework, or prepare for their upcoming presentations. 

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On Monday, April 28th, students competed in their roleplay events including: Team Decision Making Events, Principles, and Individual Series. After the competitions, students had the opportunity to walk through the Exhibit Hall which showcased many different booths, allowing attendees to network, learn about various career paths, and explore educational institutions beyond high school.  

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After all competitions concluded for the day, the chapter gathered for a meeting before heading to DECA Night at Universal Orlando. The parks closed down to accommodate all ICDC participants! 

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On Tuesday, April 29th, students woke up bright and early to attend the Achievement Awards Session which recognizes the top 20 overall scores within each event. Qualifying participants competed for a second recond later that afternoon. After all competitions ended, the chapter attended the Grand Awards Session later that evening. 

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Finalists are as follows: 

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2nd Place: 

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Audrey Hu (10); Quick Serve Restaurant Management Series 

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4th Place: 

Naiya Daswani (12); Business Growth Plan 

Amishi Gupta (11), Tanvi Sivakumar (11); Financial Services Team Decision Making Event 

6th Place: 

Caleb Tang (12); Quick Serve Restarant Management Series 

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7th Place: 

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Bazigh Tahirzad (10); Financial Consulting 

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10th Place:  

Maya Affaki (12); Hotel and Lodging Management Series 

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Top 20: 

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Aanya Shah (11); Business Services Marketing Series 

Luke Wu (11); Restaurant and Food Management Series 

Isaac Liu (9); Professional Selling 

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About The Harker School DECA

Harker DECA is an International Competitive Business Organization that prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs in four fields of business: marketing, finance, hospitality, and management. Our DECA chapter integrates classroom instruction, applies learning, connects to business, and promotes competition in order to prepare the next generation to be academically prepared, community oriented, professionally responsible, and experienced leaders.

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Contact Information

To learn more about this story, please contact:

Kai Nishimura, Director of Communications

27KaiN@students.harker.org

deca.harker.org

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