The weekend of Jan. 5-7, 81 students from The Harker School DECA chapter competed at the 2018 Silicon Valley Career Development Conference (SVCDC) at the Santa Clara Marriott. In total, Harker performed admirably, with 48 teams as overall finalists and 14 top three winners.

“This year’s SVCDC was my last regional conference as a member of the chapter, so I’m very happy with how successful it was,” said Shreyas Chandrashekaran, grade 12, Harker DECA’s co-CEO, who earned first place in marketing management team decision making. “I am definitely going to miss the people and the Silicon Valley organization, and it was definitely great to see many Harker teams have the opportunity to get recognized on stage.”

Members placing in the top 10 are as follows:

First Place
• Erin Liu, grade 11, Business Growth Plan
• Shreyas Chandrashekaran and Vignesh Panchanatham, both grade 12, Marketing Management
Team Decision Making
• Bryan Wang, grade 10, Retail Merchandising Individual Series
• Enya Lu, grade 11, and Alyssa Huang, grade 10, Finance Team Decision Making
• Aditya Singhvi, grade 9, Principles of Finance
• Mahi Kolla, grade 10, Entrepreneurship Individual Series

Second Place
• Bryan Wang and David Feng, both grade 10, Finance Operations Research
• Evan Cheng, grade 10, Business Services Marketing Individual Series
• Nishka Ayyar and Riya Gupta, both grade 11, Business Law and Ethics Team Decision Making

Third Place
• Claire Luo, grade 9, Financial Consulting Event
• Claire Luo, grade 9, Principles of Finance
• Aditi Ghalsasi, grade 10, Principles of Hospitality and Tourism
• Michelle Si, grade 9, Principles of Business Management and Administration
• Helen Yang, grade 11, Business Services Marketing Individual Series

Fourth Place
• Aditi Ghalsasi, grade 10, Advertising Campaign
• Nikhil Sharma and Arnav Joshi, both grade 10, Business Law and Ethics Team Decision Making
• Rishi Dange, Evan Cheng and Martin Bourdev, all grade 10, Buying and Merchandising
Operations Research
• Shania Wang and Kelsey Wu, both grade 11, Independent Business Plan
• Mahi Kolla, grade 10, Start-Up Business Plan
• Rakesh Nori and Jeffrey Liu, both grade 10, Hospitality Services Team Decision Making
• Ashna Chandra, grade 12, Hospitality and Tourism Professional Selling
• Nicholas Yi, grade 9, Principles of Finance
• Natasha Yen, grade 9, Principles of Hospitality and Tourism

Fifth Place
• Karan Bhasin and Benjamin Gicqueau, both grade 9, Advertising Campaign
• Nikhil Sharma and Arnav Joshi, both grade 10, Business Services Operations Research
• Richard Hu, grade 10, Business Services Marketing Individual Series
• Andrew Lu, grade 9, Financial Consulting Event
• Ashna Chandra, grade 12, Quick Serve Restaurant Management Individual Series
• Chandan Aggarwal and Naveen Mirapuri, both grade 10, Sports and Entertainment Marketing
Team Decision Making

Sixth Place
• Rishi Dange, grade 10, Accounting Applications Individual Series
• Alyssa Huang, Anu Selvaraj and Radhika Jain, all grade 10, Buying and Merchandising
Operations Research
• Suraj Pakala and Sayon Biswas, both grade 11, Start-Up Business Plan
• Larissa Tyagi, grade 10, International Business Plan
• Lisa Barooah, grade 10, Principles of Finance
• Ronit Gagneja and Zara Vakath, both grade 10, Sports and Entertainment Marketing Team
Decision Making
• Shania Wang and Kelsey Wu, both grade 11, Travel and Tourism Team Decision Making

Seventh Place
• Shreyas Chandrashekaran, grade 12, Business Services Operations Research
• Anu Selvaraj, grade 10, Entrepreneurship Individual Series
• Michelle Si, grade 9, Financial Consulting Event
• Anay Karwal, grade 10, Fashion Merchandising Promotion Plan
• Max Lee, grade 10, Sports and Entertainment Marketing Individual Series

Eighth Place
• Stephanie Shen and Jacqueline Au, both grade 9, Buying and Merchandising Operations Research
• Helen Zhu, grade 9, Innovation Plan
• David Feng, grade 10, Marketing Communications Individual Series
• Elaine Zhai, grade 9, Principles of Business Management and Administration
• Zoe Kister, grade 9, Principles of Hospitality and Tourism
• Allison Jia, grade 10, Retail Merchandising Individual Series
• Sidhnarth Dudyala, grade 10, Sports and Entertainment Marketing Individual Series

Ninth Place
• Claire Luo, grade 9, Financial Consulting Event
• Jessie Wang, grade 10, Personal Financial Literacy
• Chandan Aggarwal and Naveen Mirapuri, grade 10, Sports and Entertainment Promotion Plan

10th Place
• Nishka Ayyar and Riya Gupta, grade 11, Independent Business Plan
• Jessie Wang, grade 10, Financial Consulting Event
• Andrew Lu, grade 9, Principles of Hospitality and Tourism
• Gowtham Irrinki, grade 9, Principles of Marketing
• Vignesh Panchanatham, grade 12, Professional Selling Event
• Ramanand Vegesna, grade 10, Sports and Entertainment Marketing Individual Series

On Friday during lunch, Harker DECA members and chaperones commuted via shuttle to the Santa Clara Marriott, where they would stay and compete for the remainder of the conference. While students were waiting for their conference packets and hotel rooms, the Harker DECA officer team catered Jamba Juice for all students to enjoy. After attendees settled into their rooms, testing session immediately began and carried on for the remainder of the day. Afterward, members and chaperones attended the opening ceremony, and some members of the chapter also performed on stage in SV Factor, the annual talent show. Saturday was filled with nervous energy, as all teams competed in their written and role-play events. Students were busy throughout the day, practicing their events and receiving last-minute feedback from officers and mentors.

“This was my first time competing in a DECA conference, and it was definitely stressful, but surreal,” said Aditi Ghalsasi, grade 10, who earned third place in Principles of Hospitality and Tourism. “I’m really excited for the next conference, where I have the opportunity to perform better.” Aside from competitions, Enya Lu, grade 11, vice president of competitions and strategy and first place winner in Finance Team Decision Making, spent the day campaigning as a candidate for the vice president for Silicon Valley. Many attendees also took time out of their day to assist Lu in campaigning. After a tough day of competitions, students had time to relax and grab dinner with their friends. In the evening, attendees also had the chance to attend the DECA Dance, where they were able to network with other members from different schools and unwind after a busy day.

In preparation for SVCDC, Harker DECA held weekly study sessions in the Innovation Center on Fridays and occasional Saturdays. At these sessions, students were able to practice their role plays in front of an officer, get feedback on their written presentations and plans, and take exams. The conference came to a close on Sunday morning at the awards ceremonies. At the Mini Awards, Harker performed extremely well, with a total of 53 teams placing. “Having the chance to get on stage and see the attendees for the entire conference was nerve-wracking, but definitely amazing,” said Anu Selvaraj, grade 10, a finalist in Entrepreneurship Individual Series Event and Buying and Merchandising Operations Research. “I did not expect to finalize in my events, so I was definitely proud of me and my partners.” After the Mini Awards, conference attendees and chaperones were served breakfast in the California Ballroom. They also congratulated new friends on their success and prepared for the exciting Grand Awards Session, where Harker DECA continuously placed students in the top eight.

After the Grand Awards, the election results for the new 2018-19 DECA vice president of Silicon Valley was announced. The whole Harker DECA chapter was ecstatic when they realized Lu had won the position. Her term will commence in March, where she will be recognized at the California State Career Development Conference (SCDC) in Anaheim. “I was definitely not expecting this win, and I am very thankful for the entire Harker DECA chapter for their support,” said Lu. “I would have never imagined being elected as the new VP of Silicon Valley, and I am thrilled to be starting my term in March.”

Overall, this year’s SVCDC was a huge success for the entire Harker DECA Chapter. The officer team is immensely proud of all competitors for the hard work they put in to their events. Not only were they able to experience a competitive environment, they were also able to meet new people and learn valuable new lessons.

“As a chapter advisor, it’s really fulfilling and achieving to see your students get recognized on stage,” said Michael Acheatel, Harker DECA chapter advisor. “No matter the outcome of the conference, the students gave it their all, and they really proved their professionalism.” In preparation for the California SCDC in March, Harker DECA encourages all members to attend the weekly study sessions. Go Eagles!

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