Carmel High School’s DECA chapter has once again proven itself to be a powerhouse in cultivating future business leaders. DECA, which prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management, has given students at Carmel High School the chance to grow beyond the classroom and onto an international stage—and they delivered.

This year, 95 Carmel DECA students qualified to compete at the International Career Development Conference (ICDC) in Orlando, Florida, one of the most prestigious student business competitions in the world. Representing one of the largest chapters globally—ranked 9th largest DECA chapter in the world—Carmel students made an impression both on stage and off.

Thirty-one students were honored on stage, with eight earning the coveted title of international champion in their events. These students demonstrated excellence in fast-paced, real-world business simulations and prepared presentations in various clusters such as entrepreneurship, hospitality, and finance.

🎉 International Champions:

• Jessica Ding and Feryal Haider – 1st Place in Hospitality Services Team Decision Making

🥈 Runner-Up Honors:

• Caiden O’Connell, Will Spence, Wells Wright – 2nd Place in Community Giving Project
• Mansi Indarapu and Cheryl Yu – 2nd Place in Entrepreneurship Team Decision Making
• Laila Abumahfouz – 2nd Place in Start-Up Business Plan

🏅 Top 10 in Events:

• Nina Godbole and Mahitha Konjeti
• Arjun Yadav
• Mira Nuthakki

🎖️ Event Finalists included:

• Ian Fuertges and Briggs Griffin
• Riley Alderman and Maggie Miller
• Dhruv Patel

🏆 Top 10 in Virtual Business Challenge Events:

• Kellen Gong and Chris Herzog
• Nairit Dutta and Mahesh Duvvuri
• Richard Geng and Jason Lam
• Aarush Patil and Amay Sharma
• Sid Chavali and Jason John
• Kodai Fujita and Vardaan Goel

🥈 Silver-Ribbon Medallists:

• Henry Joliet
• Sofia Dagvadorj

Carmel DECA offers students the opportunity to compete through roleplays—real-world business scenarios where students think fast and present solutions to judges—or through written business plans and research papers developed over several weeks. The chapter also encourages members to participate in virtual events and workshops, where they develop key skills in communication, public speaking, and professional networking.

In addition to competitive success, Carmel DECA was the hit of the convention for designing this year’s popular Indiana trading pin. Created by student Michelle Xuan, the Garfield-themed pin was a crowd favorite and quickly became a must-have among students and advisors from around the world.

Carmel DECA is grateful for the support of the school community, staff, and families who help make these opportunities possible. With each year of competition and leadership, the chapter continues to make a meaningful impact—on campus, across the state, and around the country.

Congratulations to the following Greyhounds: