GCPS students secure top recognition at state DECA conference

Apr 24 2025

Twenty-one Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) high school students have received top honors at the 2025 DECA Career Development Conference.

“Strong business and marketing education programs empower students with the skills and confidence to think critically, communicate effectively, and lead with purpose,” says GCPS Director of Academies and Career, Technical & Agricultural Education Dustin Davis-Austin. “The DECA competition provides a real-world platform for students to apply what they’ve learned in the classroom to dynamic, competitive scenarios.”

DECA is an organization that serves high school and college students who are interested in the fields of business, marketing, finance, hospitality, and management. DECA exposes students to leadership opportunities through workshops, conferences, and professional development activities.

“The students who participated demonstrated impressive knowledge and professionalism, and their success reflects the dedication and expertise of the teachers who guide and support them every day,” Davis-Austin continues. “These experiences not only reinforce academic learning but also cultivate the kind of future-ready mindset that benefits students well beyond high school.”

The winners are as follows:

School	Student	Results	Competition Category
Brookwood HS	Jada Kelley	1^st State	Entrepreneurship Team Decision Making
Brookwood HS	Lauren Maddox	1^st State	Entrepreneurship Team Decision Making
Brookwood HS	Veer Patel	1^st State	Entrepreneurship Team Decision Making
Brookwood HS	Vyom Thakkar	1^st State	Entrepreneurship Team Decision Making
Collins Hill HS	Matthew Mercedes Lovejoy	1^st State	Start-Up Business Plan
Collins Hill HS	Thanh Lan Vo	1^st State	Start-Up Business Plan
GSMST	Daye Kebe	2^nd State	Financial Services Team Decision-Making
GSMST	George Matthew	2^nd State	Financial Services Team Decision-Making
Mill Creek HS	Raghav Narayanan	1^st State	Integrated Marketing Campaign – Service
North Gwinnett HS	Emma Calin	1^st State	Professional Selling
North Gwinnett HS	Neeral Gandhi	1^st State	Entrepreneurship Series
North Gwinnett HS	Neeral Gandhi	1^st State	International Business Plan
North Gwinnett HS	Sahira Kuturu	1^st State	Business Solutions
North Gwinnett HS	Sadhana Singam	1^st State	Business Solutions
North Gwinnett HS	Emma Rice	1^st State	Marketing Communications
North Gwinnett HS	Sadhana Singam	1^st State	Restaurant & Food Services
North Gwinnett HS	Isabella Traykova	2^nd State	Business Services Marketing
North Gwinnett HS	Isabella Traykova	1^st State	Franchise Business Plan
North Gwinnett HS	Katherina Traykova	1^st State	Franchise Business Plan
Parkview HS	Chelsea Nguyen	1^st State	Business Services Marketing
Paul Duke STEM HS	Myra Wu	1^st State	Innovation Plan
Paul Duke STEM HS	Elle Wylie	1^st State	Innovation Plan
Seckinger HS	Samuel Kim	2^nd State	Retail Merchandising
Seckinger HS	Jada Nagbe	2^nd State	Business Finance

Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to LinkedIn Share to Pinterest Share to Email Print this page

View All News