Thursday, Jan 29, 2026
Florida Atlantic University High School students demonstrated exceptional skill and preparation at the District 8 Florida DECA competition, a rigorous regional event representing top student talent from Palm Beach, St. Lucie, and Martin counties.
At the start of the school year, students selected from nearly 50 competitive DECA categories spanning marketing, finance, entrepreneurship, hospitality, and management. Their journey began on campus with a comprehensive 100-question exam designed to assess business knowledge and critical thinking. Only the top-performing students across the district received invitations to advance.
In January, qualifying students competed at Keiser University, where they were challenged to think and perform like real-world business professionals. Depending on their category, students delivered prepared presentations, such as proposing a new product, service, or promotional event, or tackled impromptu business scenarios while developing and presenting solutions with limited preparation time.
Final scores combined exam results with presentation or role-play performance, with the top competitors earning the opportunity to advance to the Florida DECA State Career Development Conference in Orlando this March. From there, the highest achievers may continue to the international level in Atlanta later this year.
In addition to the district competition, several FAU High School students qualified directly for the state conference through an advanced pathway, submitting comprehensive, 20-page business proposals that were judged independently, a testament to their depth of research, creativity, and commitment.
Please take a moment to celebrate the success of our students listed below and wish them well as they progress on the DECA stage:
Also winning a trophy and qualifying for states: