The Pine Crest DECA chapter made waves last weekend at the Florida Career Development Conference. Pine Crest’s team traveled to Orlando to attend a state-level competition that tested students’ knowledge and preparation for business careers. Competitors took written exams in several categories and participated in a “role-play,” an interview conducted with a real-life business executive designed to test students’ knowledge of business administration, marketing, and finance.

In between competitions, the team also visited iconic Orlando destinations such as Universal Studios and Disney Springs. The team had already made a stellar debut as a new DECA chapter last year and swept the awards segment yet again this year, with nine of 21 students taking home either a trophy or medal in recognition of their performances. Four students will advance to the international competition in Atlanta this April.

Junior Blake Gilbert said of the trip, “This year’s CDC in Orlando was an excellent experience. It allowed each of our representatives the opportunity for growth in a variety of business-based fields, while also giving us the opportunity to have fun with many of our friends throughout Florida.”

The Technology Student Association (TSA) also represented Pine Crest this weekend at the Florida TSA Conference in Orlando. Students competed and demonstrated their expertise in engineering, design, and manufacturing. Pine Crest’s upper and middle school teams earned numerous top-ten awards at the competition, with the Fashion Design and Technology Team (Alexa Strauch (’19), Danielle Weisfisch (’19), Diana Florencio (’18), and Sydney Tacher (’19)) taking home first place in its category. These students will represent Pine Crest at the upcoming National TSA Conference in Atlanta.

Junior Ben Pierce really enjoyed the conference saying, “The TSA trip was an incredible experience and ended up being a tremendous success.  I competed in Digital Video Production, and we finished 3rd in the state and qualified for Nationals.  I’m super excited to compete at Nationals”.

Members of the International Relations Club traveled to D.C. to compete in Washington D.C. Model United Nations Conference (WAMUNC). Although they had a chance to visit the Capitol’s hallmarks, including the National Mall and Union Station, the students spent most of their time in committee, and their hard work paid off. Several delegates received special recognition for their speaking skills, including Yuvraj Tuli (’21), Ross Miller (’19), Michael Fiedel (’19), and Maya El-Sharif (’21).

Mrs. Bass, sponsor of the International Relations Committee, described the highlight of her trip as “stepping into committee sessions and seeing both veteran and novice students busy at work and commanding the stage,” adding, “It was definitely one of my favorite trips.”

Lauren James, a sophomore member of the Afghan delegation, remarked how much she learned at WAMUNC. “I was able to experience what it was like to represent a country different than my own, forcing me to learn about that country’s background and history, and thus further increasing my world knowledge.”

All of the students who participated in DECA, TSA, and Model UN did an excellent job.  There will be even more success to celebrate in the weeks to come as students prepare for events such as Playing for Change and the Columbia Scholastic Press Association trip to New York.