photo by: Contributed

From left to right, Free State students Ruth Yang, sophomore; Neel Sabarwal, senior; Allen Shao, sophomore; and Grace Mosconi, sophomore.

Four Free State High School students qualified to attend the flagship conference of DECA, which prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs in areas like marketing, finance and management.

The students who attended DECA’s International Career Development Conference on April 25-28 include Neel Sabarwal, senior; Grace Mosconi, sophomore; Ruth Yang, sophomore; and Allen Shao, sophomore, according to a press release from Free State DECA.

DECA’s International Career Development Conference is the premier annual culminating event for DECA, bringing together over 20,000 high school students, advisors, and business professionals. The event is held in April, featuring competitive events, leadership academies, networking, and college/career exhibits.

Each of them qualified to attend the conference in Atlanta by winning or placing in the top three of their respective events at the state conference held in March in Manhattan. The events have two components: a 100-question test and a role-play judged component.

Mosconi earned a top 10 award medallion and a blue ribbon medallion by scoring in the top 10 overall, and she was called to the stage during the grand awards ceremony. Yang earned a silver ribbon medallion by scoring among the top students in her test and was called to the stage during the achievement awards.

The students were accompanied to the conference by their DECA advisor Kimberly Hawks, a business teacher at Free State. Sabarwal is also the local chapter’s president.