UHS DECA Competes, Souders & Timm Place Top 10 at National Competition

Left - (L-R)Juniors Catie Timm & Arianna Souders pose with their top 10 medals at DECA Inc. International Career Development Conference

Left - (L-R) UHS DECA group poses together at DECA Inc. International Career Development Confrence. Pictured are Advisor Thomas Russell, Paige Arnett, Catie Timm, Arianna Souders, and Anna Selvaggio

Submitted by By Thomas Russell, UHS DECA Advisor 
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On April 21-26, 4 members of the Urbana High School DECA Chapter traveled to Orlando, Florida to compete in DECA Inc’s International Career Development Conference. Over 22,000 students from all 50 states, Canada, Spain, Guam, Germany, Puerto Rico, Japan, and Latvia participated in a multitude of events that focused on Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Finance, Hospitality, and Management.

Urbana’s members included Senior Anna Selvaggio, Juniors Paige Arnett, Arianna Souders & Catie Timm. Each group prepared a 20-page paper and 15-minute presentation to take in front of a judge. The team of Arnett & Selvaggio participated in Project Management Financial Literacy - where they planned and executed a financial literacy campaign aimed at bringing more awareness to this topic, specifically budgeting, within the halls of UHS. The major event of the project was to run a financial literacy simulation alongside of Kiley Horn OSU Extention Office Champaign County, called Real Money. Real World. 175+ UHS students participated in the simulation as well as 20+ community volunteers.

Souders & Timm competed in the Project Management Community Awareness event where they conducted mental health efforts within UHS. During this project, Souders & Timm organized mental health education activities like virtual graphics (displayed on the CEP televisions placed throughout the community), mental health walls (set up beside the UHS main office), and conducted the 3rd annual mental health fair at UHS. This year, 400+ students participated in the fair and 12+ vendors were present to inform students about their services and on mental health topics. Souders & Timm finished the competition placing 5th overall out of 160+ teams. This marked the 2nd time UHS DECA had a 5th place finish, the first occurring last year in Atlanta, Georgia.

​In 2023-2024 the UHS DECA Chapter will pursue these achievements once again, as the planning for ICDC in Anaheim has already begun. Stay updated on the Chapter’s plans and progress on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @urbanadeca. The Chapter has plans to bring back Real Money, Real World, Mental Health Fair, UHS PowderPuff Game, Chapter Sponsorship & Banner Fundraiser, as well as adding new events. If you, someone you know, or a local business would like to support please contact Thomas Russell, DECA Advisor at thomas.russell@urbanacityschools.org.