Lincoln Park DECA team members pose during the DECA International Career Development Conference in Atlanta in April, at which the team’s Food Service Operations and Retail Operations teams received gold level recertification for 2025-2026 for their roles in operating the high school’s student-run store.
By SUE SUCHYTA
Sunday Times Newspapers
LINCOLN PARK – Lincoln Park High School DECA team student members were honored in Atlanta in April at the DECA International Career Development Conference for their leadership, business and marketing skills.
The group, which originally stood for the Distributive Education Clubs of America, now simply known as DECA, prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality and management.
Four LPHS DECA team members, Celina Diaz, Jazmine Gaytan, Garcia Gomez and Elizabeth Woolf, earned their place at and attended the Atlanta DECA conference.
The DECA team, which runs The Crossing, the successful LPHS student-run store, received its gold-level recertification for the 2025-26 school year.
The DECA conference in Atlanta drew more than 25,000 students, teachers, business professionals and alumni from across the United States.
In addition, LPHS students Desiray Faes and Isabella Wigginton attended the Thrive Academy, DECA’s Emerging Leaders Series at the International Career Development Conference.
The experience provides training focused on communication, collaboration and chapter growth strategies, and helps LPHS students gain both skills and new ideas to hone their leadership skills while improving their local DECA club.
LPHS DECA team advisor Leslie Barragan said she is proud of the students’ accomplishments and thrilled that they were recognized at the Atlanta conference.
“This conference provided our students with the chance to interact and network with other future leaders from around the country and apply the skills they’ve learned here in Lincoln Park,” she said.
Lincoln Park Public Schools Supt. Terry Dangerfield also praised the LPHS DECA students.
“Congratulations to our Railsplitter DECA teams for being recognized for their hard work on an international stage and for their continued success in running The Crossing,” he said. “Our popular and growing DECA program is just one example of our ongoing commitment to preparing our students for success and the in-demand careers of today and tomorrow.”
For more information about Lincoln Park Public Schools, go to lincolnparkpublicschools.com.