NCSSM Students Take First-Place at DECA's International Competition
After enduring the social challenges of online school, Anika, a senior at NCSSM-Durham, longed for a way to rebuild her confidence and strengthen her public speaking skills. What she didn’t know was that joining her school’s DECA chapter would ignite a journey that would take her to the international stage—and lead her to victory.
Congratulations to Anika and Shruthi for earning first place at DECA’s International Career Development Conference!
Competing in the Integrated Marketing Campaign - Product category, Anika and her partner, Shruthi, crafted a marketing campaign for Ocean Bottle, a UK-based water bottle company known for its commitment to sustainability. Their campaign targeted Gen Z and older Millennials, focusing on personal wellness and environmental stewardship. Acknowledging that social media engagement, YouTube ads, and influencer partnerships were essential for any successful marketing campaign, Anika and Shruthi went further, introducing creative ideas like a Nike-branded Ocean Bottle while bridging both US and UK markets to maximize reach.
The journey to first place was not without challenges. At DECA’s North Carolina state competition, their team received lukewarm feedback, barely qualifying for Internationals. Undeterred, Anika and Shruthi took the feedback in stride, balancing it with their own intuition and innovative ideas to revise and refine their campaign. “[I learned to] support every idea with evidence and research,” Anika reflected, highlighting how the process deepened her skills as both a researcher and a strategist.
For Anika, DECA offered far more than business concepts—it became a platform for personal growth, leadership, and communication. She credits her DECA cohort for inspiring and boosting her confidence, especially during moments of uncertainty. When asked about her favorite memory, she fondly recalled the strong friendships she formed with students from NCSSM-Morganton during the conference, friendships that remain strong today.
The competition honed Anika’s ability to tackle organizational challenges by bridging classroom knowledge with real-world applications. Through this experience, she transformed the research skills she developed in school into practical tools for solving complex, career-oriented problems.
Anika’s first-place finish represents more than a testament to her hard work and creativity—it’s a shining example of the potential for NCSSM students to excel on any stage. As President of NCSSM's DECA Chapter, Anika is passionate about encouraging her peers to explore career and technical education (CTE) opportunities. “DECA helps you apply the skills you’ve learned in school to real-world challenges,” she explains. “It’s about gaining practical, transferable skills that will serve you in any career path.”