This story was submitted by Ariana Gauba, grade 10.
From April 21-26, more than 40 Harker DECA members attended the International Career Development Conference (ICDC), at the Orlando Convention Center.
“ICDC was a truly unique experience where I got to meet new people and network with people across the globe!” said Harker DECA’s 2023-2024 VP of Public Relations Gabriel Jacob Li, grade 10.
Throughout the conference, chapter members explored Orlando, visited Disney’s Epcot Park and Universal Studios, and competed in their events. Harker DECA was extremely competitively successful, having multiple teams placed in the top 5, including Entrepreneurship Team Decision Making and Franchise Business Plan.
Yesterday, team FRESH.mInD were selected as finalists in the Wharton Global High School Investment Competition, emerging as one of the top 10 teams in this year’s competition. Nearly 1,400 teams entered this year’s contest, numbering approximately 3,200 students in total. They will compete at the Global Finale, held April 21-22 at the Wharton School of Business in Philadelphia.
This annual contest, run by the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business, tasks teams of high school students with developing a financial plan and investment portfolio. Semifinalists will submit a video presentation based on the information in their reports.
Recently, CareerConnect hosted a mock interview event designed to help individuals improve their interviewing skills by providing a simulated interview experience. During the event, participants were paired up with business professionals who were the interviewers. The interviewer asked a series of common interview questions, and the interviewee responded as they would in a real interview. After each interview, the mentor provided feedback to the student on what they did well and what they could improve upon. The event also included tips for successful interviews, such as how to prepare for an interview, how to answer common interview questions and how to make a positive impression.
“I think this event helped me get a sense of how to improve my answers to typical interview questions, as well as grasp what the typical process looks like,” said Lucas Chen, grade 9. “This way, I have a better understanding when I’m actually being interviewed and will perform better.”
Interviewers and interviewees were both engaged in the process, making it a beneficial experience for all students. “I really enjoyed this experience, passing down tips and my knowledge down to students,” said interviewer Grace Wu. “It also gave me a sense of what kids are up to these days, and I had lots of fun listening and learning about each students unique aspirations and goals”.
Overall, the goal of the mock interview club event is to provide participants with a safe and supportive environment in which they can practice and improve their interviewing skills, ultimately increasing their chances of success in future job interviews.
This annual contest, run by the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business, tasks teams of high school students with developing a financial plan and investment portfolio. Semifinalists will submit a video presentation based on the information in their reports.
This story was submitted by Ariana Gauba, grade 10.
More than 120 Harker DECA members attended the regional Silicon Valley Career Development Conference (SVCDC), held Jan. 6-8 at the Santa Clara Marriott. SVCDC officially kicked off this year’s competitive season and consisted of testing, roleplay and written presentations, as well as speeches from the state officer team and the election of this year’s California DECA vice president of Silicon Valley.
“This SVCDC was a really memorable experience,” said CEO Anika Muddu, grade 12. “It was our first completely back-to-normal regional conference after COVID, so the energy was amazing, and I could really tell that everyone gave it their all. It was an amazing experience for our first-year members, and I’m incredibly proud of the chapter’s competitive success!”
During the opening ceremony, California DECA’s VP of Silicon Valley, Vineeta Muvvala, and VP of leadership, Nitin Jaladanki, introduced the conference, went through the schedule for the weekend, and introduced this year’s theme, “Get the Edge.” They also honored the late Pam McKenney, who was a crucial part of California DECA. Attendees also listened to speeches from the candidates for this year’s VP of Silicon Valley, one of which is Harker DECA’s director of written events, sophomore Emily Mitnick.
“The Silicon Valley conference was a great experience for me as a candidate because I got to meet and talk to hundreds of students in the span of three days. I had never given a speech to over 100 people before, so presenting my speech to over 800 students and teachers was an important milestone,” Mitnick said. “The two other candidates were both so friendly, and I couldn’t have been happier to spend my time getting to know them and becoming friends with them.”
The next day was dedicated to competition. All competitors participated in their roleplay and written presentations. Harker DECA competed in a wide variety of events, including individual series and team decision-making roleplays, as well as Entrepreneurship, Professional Selling, Integrated Marketing, Operations Research plans and more.
“SVCDC definitely aided in building my confidence when competing. From the time I spent practicing, presenting, and competing there, I built upon my speaking skills and expanded my overall knowledge of business management. Having a competition locally made me more comfortable in the environment,” said attendee Minal Jalil, grade 9.
The final day of SVCDC consisted of awards ceremonies. Students made their way to the grand ballroom on Sunday morning for the Mini Awards Ceremony, where many Harker DECA chapter members were recognized for their test and presentation scores. Harker was extremely successful, with many students becoming finalists and 35 teams placing in the top three for their events.
“The conference itself was a great experience and I really enjoyed learning, presenting my ideas, and spending time with friends. Placing first in my event was one of the best feelings because it felt like all the work I had put into my project had finally paid off,” said sophomore Sahil Varma, a first-place winner in Hospitality and Tourism Professional Selling.
“I am so proud of each and every student that competed in this conference,” said Juston Glass, Harker business and entrepreneurship teacher and chapter advisor. “It was obvious that all competitors worked extremely hard on their presentations, and there is no doubt that we got the edge at this conference! From winning glass to Emily being elected VP of Silicon Valley, this conference is definitely a memorable one. I can’t wait to see the great things Harker will do at SCDC!”
Top three award winners are as follows:
First Place:
– Joy Hu, grade 9: Integrated Marketing Campaign – Event
– Sahil Varma, grade 10: Hospitality and Tourism Professional Selling
– Claire Luo, grade 11: Professional Selling; Sports and Entertainment Marketing Series
– Sathvik Chundru, grade 11: Innovation Plan
– Annmaria Antony and Grace Hoang, both grade 12; Independent Business Plan
– Ashley Hong and Metrica Shi, both grade 11: Franchise Business Plan
– Tanisha Singh, grade 11: Business Service Operations Research
– Valerie Li, grade 10: Buying and Merchandising Operations Research
– Alicia Ran, grade 10, Tiana Salvi, grade 10: Finance Operations Research
– Meishin Yen and Medha Yarlagadda, both grade 11: Hospitality and Tourism Operations Research
– Saahira Dayal, grade 10: Automotive Services Marketing Series
– Sanaa Bhorkar, grade 10: Business Services Marketing Series
– Meishin Yen, grade 11: Hotel and Lodging Management Series
– Andrew Au and Edward Huang, both grade 11: Buying and Merchandising Team Decision Making
– Ariana Gauba and Shaila Tandon, both grade 10: Travel and Tourism Team Decision Making
Second Place:
– Shiven Balaji, grade 10: Integrated Marketing Campaign – Product
– Caleb Tang, Jonathan Wang and Bowen Xia, all grade 10: Franchise Business Plan
– Krish Arora, grade 9: Principles of Finance
– Maya Affaki, grade 10: Hotel and Lodging Management Series
– Chloe Lee, grade 11: Marketing Communications Series
– Caleb Tang, grade 10: Quick Serve Restaurant Management Series
– Roshan Amurthur and Angelina Antony, grade 9: Marketing Management Team Decision Making
Third Place:
– Saahira Dayal, grade 10: Financial Consulting
– Allison Huang, and Ruhi Banerjee, both grade 9: Buying and Merchandising Operations Research
– Gary Jin, grade and Jason Yi, both grade 10: Sports and Entertainment Marketing Operations Research
– Joy Hu, grade 9: Principles of Business Management and Administration
– Aashvi Ravi, grade 9: Principles of Hospitality and Tourism
– Sophia Ou, grade 9: Principles of Marketing
– Alicia Ran, grade 10: Apparel and Accessories Marketing Series
– Vedant Balachandran, grade 10: Food Marketing Series
– Keren Eisenberg, grade 10: Marketing Communications Series
– Medha Yarlagadda, grade 10: Restaurant and Food Service Management Series
– Grace Hoang and Annmaria Antony, both grade 12: Entrepreneurship Team Decision Making
– Gary Jin, grade and Jason Yi, both grade 10: Sports and Entertainment Marketing Team Decision Making
This story was submitted by Jia Jia Jiang, grade 10.
On Wednesday, Harker’s CareerConnect club hosted an event with entrepreneur and venture capitalist Atit Jariwala, who reflected on his high school, college and work experiences. He spoke to students about how he was able to transform his success from his early years into the business world. Additionally, he provided insightful advice on the transition from school to work and how students could better their opportunities. Jariwala graduated valedictorian of his high school. He then earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Yale University and an MBA from Stanford University. Since then, he has founded startups in real estate and technology, opened a restaurant chain and worked in the venture capital industry. Jariwala also shared about some recent projects he had been working on in states including Missouri and New York, and discussed the change from in-person to online work.
The event was helpful for many students who wanted to hear personal advice from a working professional. Sophomore Deeya Verma, reflecting on Jariwala’s journey to success, commented, “Learning about the route he took to success was interesting and plausible for anyone with determination and passion, making it an overall eye-opening and informative experience.” Sophomore Sam Parupudi believed that “his knowledge about all things business combined with his academic skills and an easy-to-follow manner of speech made this the perfect event.” Overall, the attendees enjoyed listening to Jariwala’s story and experiences and were glad to hear from someone with knowledge in many industries.
Last week, TuffToy founders Rohan Gorti, Arin Jain and Zubin Khera, all grade 12, were named the winners of the California DECA Business Pitch Challenge. Over the summer, the three won the National Pitch Competition in Chicago for their energetic and creative pitch of TuffToy, which sells durable, high-quality dog toys. Each of the students will receive a trophy for placing in the top three.
This story was submitted by Ariana Gauba, grade 10.
On Aug. 13-14, more than 50 incoming ninth graders participated in Harker DECA’s ninth annual DECA Launch. The event focused on introducing students to Harker’s business and entrepreneurship program and the competitive events that DECA offers. By listening to officer-led presentations, engaging in hands-on activities, and taking part in mock competitions, students were able to gain a better understanding of what DECA is and create connections and memories — all in just two days.
“DECA Launch provides the perfect experience for our grade 9 class to get their first taste of the upper school and explore a new interest all at once. Through our mini campus tour and workshop by our upperclassmen mentors, we got to introduce ninth graders to the environment they’ll be immersed in for the next four years. Along with the opening activities, Launch hosted two mock DECA events: an Innovation Challenge and a Roleplay Tournament. Through these competitions, students were able to become a DECA competitor for the weekend and experience the atmosphere of an actual conference. Another great thing about Launch are the friendships. It’s always great to see bonds being forged and connections being made between the students by the end of the weekend. The other officers and I have made some of our most meaningful friendships here at DECA and we’re so excited to continue expanding the community to welcome our new members this year,” said senior Anika Muddu, CEO of Harker DECA.
As students arrived on Saturday morning, officers gave them name tags and swag bags. After enjoying breakfast, attendees made their way into the Nichols Hall auditorium for the opening ceremony.
Muddu and executive vice president Rohan Gorti, grade 12, kicked off the event by giving a formal introduction and presentation to the ninth graders about DECA on the international and schoolwide levels. After that, attendees had the chance to hear from former vice president of competitions Bryan Zhang ʼ21, who provided his insight and experiences with DECA. Then, ICDC competitor and former director of roleplays Cynthia Wang, grade 11, gave her advice to the new students.
Following the opening ceremony, attendees met with their Launch groups and mentors to play an icebreaker game called the marshmallow challenge. As they tried to create the tallest towers with spaghetti noodles, marshmallows and tape, they learned about the importance of working with a team.
Then, attendees took a tour of the upper school campus. After arriving at the innovation center, they listened to an introductory presentation, and officers gave presentations about the five competitive event clusters of DECA: Business Management and Administration, Hospitality and Tourism, Finance, Marketing and Entrepreneurship.
“Cluster presentations are one of the most important presentations of DECA Launch as they explain each cluster in depth and the events that go with it, which help ninth graders narrow down their options,” said director of roleplays Sanaa Bhorkar, grade 10.
Next was lunch, followed by the introduction of the Innovation Challenge — a shortened version of the Entrepreneurship Innovation Plan event that DECA offers. Director of written events Emily Mitnick, grade 10, introduced how to write an executive summary and create a cohesive slideshow presentation. She also introduced this year’s theme — niches — and explained the importance of niches within target markets of a company.
“The DECA Launch inspired me to think outside of the box with a new company pitch and to think on the spot during Roleplays. I learned so much about business and entrepreneurship during just these two days!” said Sophia Bagley, grade 9.
“The Innovation Challenge represented everything DECA has to offer: the creative freedom to communicate our ideas, the extremely supportive community to lean on and learn from, and the endless choices we are privileged enough to receive in our various pursuits,” said Pavitra Kasthuri, grade 9.
For the remainder of the day, students began to brainstorm what product or service they would like to create for the project. Day one concluded with a quick closing about what to expect for day two and commendations.
“DECA wasn’t something I thought I’d be interested in, but after attending the Launch, I think I found something that I would really enjoy doing. I’m so excited to join this program, and I can’t wait to attend future conferences!” said Helen Gu, grade 9.
Day two started bright and early with a cereal bar for breakfast. Next, students had the opportunity to hear from chapter advisor Juston Glass about this year’s new membership theme, “Get the Edge.” He also highlighted Harker’s business and entrepreneurship programs. Additionally, seniors Rohan Gorti and Zubin Khera, founders of TuffToy — a dog toy company started in Harker’s incubator program — gave a presentation about their company and experience with Harker’s entrepreneurship class.
After a short stretch break, the competitions subteam introduced a Kahoot! with questions that might appear on their future examinations. Subsequently, Bhorkar gave a roleplay tips and tricks workshop and performed a live roleplay. After that, attendees listened to a written events workshop as well as a graphic design workshop presented by the public relations subteam.
Then, students continued to work on their innovation plan in their groups. After lunch, students continued to work on their projects until the mock roleplay competitions. Mentors came to teach students about how to present a roleplay, and in pairs each attendee had the opportunity to perform in a mock competition.
“I see real potential in the Class of 2026, not just regarding roleplays, but in general. I can’t wait to see what they achieve in the next four years!” said mentor Sam Parupudi, grade 10.
Shortly after, arrived and enjoyed dinner before attending the alumni panel in the auditorium. Once hearing a summary of Launch from Gorti and VP of operations Chloe Lee, grade 11, they had the opportunity to talk to four alumni Shania Wang ʼ19, Rohan Varma ʼ21, Gianna Chan ʼ22 and Lucas Wang ʼ17 about their experiences with DECA throughout their high school years and beyond.
As the alumni panel concluded, students joined their parents in the auditorium and presented their innovation plans. As the judges calculated their scores, students and parents watched the Launch recap video, highlighting the success of the attendees over the course of the weekend. DECA Launch 2022 concluded with closing remarks from Mr. Glass and an awards ceremony highlighting the attendees’ successes.
“DECA Launch this year was a huge success,” said Glass. “Both the officer team and the attendees worked extremely hard and took on challenges with open arms. I was impressed with the class of 2026’s DECAcation and the amazing ideas they came up with in just two days. I know we are going to achieve great things in the upcoming year, and let’s get the edge!”
Winners are as follows (all students are grade 9):
Roleplay Tournament:
First Place: Arushi Sahasi and Kimi Yashar
Second Place: Brenna Ren and Tiffany Zhu
Third Place: Amishi Gupta and Yena Yu
Others in Top 10: Mindy Truong and Tanvi Sivakumar, Farhan Ansari and Krish Arora, Ishan Mysore and Ethan Lei, Carissa Wu and Helen Gu, Sahil Jain and Krish Goenka, Pavitra Kasthuri and Aya Sugaya, Celina Xu and Jingjing Liang.
Innovation Challenge:
Most Innovative: Mihir Gupta, Carissa Wu, Helen Gu, Sophia Bagley, Justin Yang, Pavitra Kasthuri
Best Presentation: Samuel Tong, Yena Yu, Janam Chahal, Minal Jalil, David Li, Victoria Ma, MacEnzie Blue
Harker rising seniors Rohan Gorti, Arin Jain and Zubin Khera won the top prize of $20,000 yesterday in the 2022 INCubatoredu National Pitch Competition. Held in Chicago, the event featured the top five teams from around the country pitching businesses to compete for funding from a board of investors. The students’ business is TuffToy, which creates and sells high-quality, durable dog toys, and was pitched through a 10-minute video presentation. “Good day to be an Eagle, and a huge milestone for our incubator program,” said business and entrepreneurship teacher and team advisor Michael Acheatel.
Yesterday, the Harker team comprising rising seniors Rohan Gorti, Arin Jain and Zubin Khera was named a top five finalist in the 2022 INCubatoredu National Pitch Competition. Student teams from across the country join this contest every year by pitching their businesses to compete for funding, and finalists earn the opportunity to pitch to a board of investors. The trio’s business is TuffToy, a maker and seller of high-quality, durable dog toys, which they pitched by submitting a 10-minute video presentation. They will travel to Chicago in July for the final portion of the competition.