Dalton, GA – Four Dalton High School students will represent Dalton Public Schools on the international stage as they compete at the DECA International Career Development Conference (ICDC) in Orlando, Florida, from April 26-29, 2025. The competition will bring together top high school DECA members from around the world to compete for prestigious DECA glass trophies and scholarships.
Dalton High School’s DECA qualifiers are:
Garv Patel & Ayush Patel – Travel and Tourism Team Decision Making event
Steppanie Lucas & Andy Nguyen – Travel and Tourism Team Decision Making event
These students earned their spot at ICDC through outstanding performances at the Georgia DECA State Career Development Conference, where Garv and Ayush placed 8th overall in their event, and Steppanie and Andy placed 13th overall, qualifying as alternates. Tasneem Issa, who placed 10th in the Individual Hospitality and Tourism event, also qualified but has opted not to compete at the international level.
Led by DECA Advisor Matt Borgen, the students have demonstrated excellence in problem-solving, critical thinking, adaptability, and presentation skills—all key components of the competition. Each team will analyze and present solutions to real-world business scenarios in a role-play format, competing against top students globally.
“These students have worked hard throughout the year to get to this point,” said Borgen. “This competition has been student-led in every facet, and they should take pride and joy in what they have accomplished. In just our first year as a new DECA chapter at DHS, we have been able to represent DHS and DPS at the state level, and now these four students will have the chance to represent us internationally. They have made it to the biggest stage in DECA and have helped bring Dalton into an international spotlight.”
Students competing at ICDC have the opportunity to earn scholarships and national recognition, further enhancing their college and career prospects. The Dalton community is encouraged to follow their journey through Dalton High School’s social media pages, where updates on their progress will be shared.
For more information about DECA and its impact on students' futures, visit www.deca.org.