At the beginning of the month, marketing students Sydney Applegate and Mason Hawkins walked away from the 2014 DECA International Career Development Conference (ICDC) as Top 10 International Finalists in their event. From May 3rd to May 6th, the two juniors competed in a role play for the category Hospitality and Tourism, Team Decision Making, in which they reacted to a business situation with marketing skills they had learned in class.

“We did a lot of practice tests and a lot of practice role plays,” says Hawkins.

Although it was a lot of hard work, ICDC provided many fun activities to enjoy as well, says Hawkin’s partner, Applegate. Staying in Georgia, Atlanta for the trip, the DECA students were able to attend a Brett Eldredge concert, watch a Braves game, and visit the Coca-Cola factory, among many other Atlanta hot spots.
Proving they know how to work as hard as they play, Hawkins and Applegate are the first students in all of marketing teacher Annie Fiehrer’s years of teaching who have made it to the final rounds at ICDC. With this impressive feat, the competition season is over for the rest of the year. So what’s next for this power team? According to Fiehrer, DECA’s club elections are coming up and the duo are strong candidates for officer positions. In the meantime, they are gearing up for next year’s DECA events.