From Jan. 7-9 the Harker DECA chapter participated in the Silicon Valley Career Development Conference (SVCDC), the first competitive conference of the year. The transition back to the in-person environment sparked excitement in the community, as the event garnered over 120 signups. The weekend consisted of written and roleplay presentations in front of professional judges, networking opportunities and motivational speeches from California DECA’s State Officer Team.

On the first day of the conference, each student took exams in their respective clusters: Marketing, Business Management and Administration, Finance, Hospitality and Tourism, or Business Administration Core. Later that evening, SVCDC kicked off with the opening session in the Grand Ballroom. California DECA’s vice president of Silicon Valley, Tim Jing, announced the theme of the year, “Maximize Your Momentum,” and encouraged all Silicon Valley DECA members to do so while at the conference. The opening session closed with a talent show featuring two acts from the Harker DECA chapter. Sophomores Chloe Lee and Kaitlyn Wang and  junior Anika Muddu performed an acoustic version of “Gone” by Rosé, while sophomore Shreeya Merchia sang a powerful rendition of “Red” by Taylor Swift.

The next morning, roleplay events began, which primarily consist of team decision-making, individual series, principles and personal financial literacy roleplays. Soon after, members competed in their written events where they gave 15-minute presentations in entrepreneurship, integrated marketing campaign, professional selling or business operations research categories. For the remainder of the afternoon, students socialized with friends and explored restaurants nearby. 

On Sunday, the mini awards ceremony recognized competitors who performed exceptionally well in the testing, roleplay or presentation subcategories of their events. 

“I honestly was so shocked when I received the awards, but I was extremely happy that my hard work paid off and I was able to perform well in my events. In the end it was a great and thrilling experience,” said Saahira Dayal, grade 9, who placed second overall in Principles of Business Management and Administration.

Later, during the grand awards ceremony, a total of 20 Harker teams placed in the top three overall for their events, while many more earned spots in the top 10 awards.

Overall, despite the effects of COVID-19, the conference was a huge success. It provided attendees with a fantastic experience that provided valuable insights into their competitive events and a special chance to forge new friendships. 

“I’m incredibly proud of all the officers and attendees for adapting to the new restrictions and environment at this conference. It was great to see how much dedication everyone put into their competitive events, and I can’t wait to maximize our momentum at the State and International conferences this year!” said Juston Glass, Harker DECA’s chapter advisor.

Members placing in the top three are as follows:

First Place:

Shreeya Merchia, grade 10, and Anika Muddu, grade 11: Sports and Entertainment Operations Research

Marcus Blennemann, grade 9: Principles of Finance

Second Place:

Chloe Lee and Kaitlyn Wang, both grade 10: Marketing Team Decision Making

Bowen Xia, grade 9: Principles of Finance

Tanisha Singh, grade 10: Entrepreneurship Series 

Medha Yarlagadda, grade 10: Restaurant and Food Service Management Series

Claire Luo, grade 10: Sports and Entertainment Marketing Series

Saahira Dayal, grade 9: Principles of Business Management

Third Place:

Chloe Lee, Kaitlyn Wang and Cynthia Wang, all grade 10: Integrated Marketing Campaign- Event

Marcus Blennemann and Nelson Gou, both grade 9: Entrepreneurship Innovation Plan

Catherine He, grade 12: International Business Plan

Saahira Dayal, grade 9: Franchise Business Plan

Jonathan Wang, grade 9: Principles of Finance

Valerie Li, grade 9: Hospitality and Tourism Operations Research

Ashwin Kuppahally and Adrian Liu, both grade 10: Buying and Merchandising Team Decision Making

Bowen Xia, Caleb Tang and Jonathan Wang, both grade 9: Finance Operations Research

Sanaa Bhorkar, grade 9: Principles of Business Management

Justin Chen, grade 10: Business Finance Series

Meishin Yen, grade 10: Hotel and Lodging Management Series

Catherine He, grade 12: Restaurant and Food Service Management Series