2021 State Career Development Conference

Alix Rouby

Director of Internships

Shippensburg University

A native of France, Mrs. Rouby came to the United States in 2002 as part of an exchange program between the Institut Commercial de Nancy and Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

Mrs. Rouby holds a French Law degree, MBA degrees from France and the United States, and is pursuing a Masters of Science in Counseling – College Student Personnel at Shippensburg University.

After a career in the Telecommunication sector with BellSouth and AT&T, followed by almost a decade in the Party Goods industry at the Beiste Company, Mrs. Rouby is currently the Director of Internships in the Career, Mentoring, and Professional Development Center at Shippensburg University

18 February

College Internships

09:30 AM 09:55 AM

Workshops

Catherine Horton

High School Division President

DECA, Inc.

Catherine Horton, a Georgia native living in Arizona, is a four-year DECA member. She has served as a chapter officer at Mountain Ridge High School and as an Arizona DECA State Officer. She finds great joy in all the opportunities and challenges DECA presents and thrives in building relationships with members. Loving the competitive aspect of DECA, Catherine competed at the association and international levels in Marketing Management Team Decision Making and Community Awareness Project events. She is excited to continue her service as an advocate for DECA. In the fall of 2021, she will pursue degrees in Marketing and Business Administration.

18 February

Who Are You?

11:00 AM 11:25 AM

Workshops

18 February

Digital Media with Adobe Spark

10:00 AM 10:25 AM

Workshops

Gina Borgesi

College Representative

FIDM - Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising

FIDM is an accredited, private 4-year college in California which offers specialized Associates and Bachelor’s degrees, as well as an MBA. These degrees lead to creative careers in business, social media, fashion, entertainment, interior design, visual and digital arts. Because FIDM believes that hands-on experience is an integral part of one’s education, they professionalize their students by assisting them with internships, holding job fairs, offering on-campus recruiting, and hosting networking events. Their Career Center staff works one-on-one with students and graduates to ensure a targeted and efficient job search; a formula for success. Gina is a regional college representative
who will share some of her own professional experiences from her 20+ year career in the Philadelphia marketplace.

18 February

How to Ace the Interview

02:30 PM 02:55 PM

Workshops

KL

Kelly Laukemann

'82-'83 DECA President

Kelly Laukemann, a Pennsylvania native, served as the 1982-83 National DECA President. She was PA DECA Vice-President in 1981-82 as well as President of her local DECA Chapter at Northern High School. She has served as a judge or a workshop presenter at the PA DECA conference for almost three decades. Kelly holds degrees from Harvard University, New York University, and the Fashion Institute of Technology. She has worked internationally in China and Germany and owns businesses in the recycling, real estate and finance industries. She is founder of the non-profit, Harvard Square College Financial Advisors, which helps students learn how to finance their college educations without incurring excessive debt.

18 February

Find Free Money for College

11:35 AM 12:05 PM

Workshops

18 February

Communication and Style Flexing

02:00 PM 02:25 PM

Workshops

18 February

Lead Already

09:00 AM 09:25 AM

Workshops

Ryan Rivera

North Atlantic Region Vice President

DECA, Inc.

Ryan Rivera is a four-year DECA member from New York. Throughout his four years as a member of Clarkstown South DECA, Ryan led a variety of initiatives and projects to further his chapter’s success. After being elected as the New York DECA District Three President, Ryan decided to run for New York DECA’s Vice President of Competition and was elected to serve his association. Throughout his term, he led the association’s charitable efforts for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, unified members by increasing chapter communications and worked to prepare competitors from around the state. His goal as DECA’s North Atlantic Region Vice President is to continue these unifications across the thirteen associations within the North Atlantic Region. Outside of DECA, Ryan enjoys public speaking, debate and mentoring his peers. He will be attending Nova Southeastern University as part of the class of 2024 for Public Health and Management.

18 February

How to Financially Prepare for Your Next Level

03:00 PM 03:25 PM

Workshops

18 February

Social Entrepreneurship

12:05 PM 12:30 PM

Workshops

18 February

Teaching Social Entrepreneurship (Advisors)

12:35 PM 01:00 PM

Advisor-Only Events

Lizzie Guan

State President

Pennsylvania DECA

Hello PA DECA! My name is Lizzie Guan and I am beyond excited and honored to serve as your 2020-2021 State President. I am currently a senior at West Chester East High School where I also enjoy playing tennis and hanging out with my friends. I joined DECA my freshman year and have cherished every moment of it; my life would not have been the same had I not decided to do so! Outside of DECA, I spend my time hiking with family, playing with my cat, and running a nonprofit called EntrepreHER! I am also a big fan of Harry Potter, ATLA, and the Marvel Series, all of which I enjoy binging when I have the chance. This year, I hope to bring PA DECA into a whole new world. These times are extremely different from anything we’ve ever experienced, but I hope to bring new opportunities, resources, and experiences to PA DECA! Please feel free to reach out at any time! I can’t wait to meet you all (virtually or in-person) this year!

18 February

College Conversations

10:30 AM 10:55 AM

Workshops

Ryan Vogt

State Vice President

Pennsylvania DECA

Hey PA DECA! My name is Ryan Vogt and I am your State Vice President. I am a senior from Harry S Truman High School. I am a part of the National Honor Society and Student Government. Joining DECA has been one of the best decisions I have ever made. I love meeting new people at district and state conferences and that is what made me fall in love with DECA. PA DECA is filled with young business-minded people with great ambition and high standards. Aside from DECA, I enjoy playing golf with my friends and spending time with my family. I am the biggest fan of The Office and I can back that up. This year is going to be out of this world and I can’t wait to get to know you all. #NextLevel

Kate Briegel

Vice President of Communications

Pennsylvania DECA

Hello PA DECA! I am excited and honored to serve as your VP of Communications this year. I am a senior at East Stroudsburg High School where I serve as the president of my chapter. I met DECA my freshman year and I have been in love ever since. When I’m not at a meeting (or planning for one) you can find me in the pool, participating in National Honor Society or at a class meeting. This year I also started working on the Monroe County branch of EntrepreHer which is a non-profit that PA DECA President Lizzie Guan started. I’m super excited to see where we can intertwine these two wonderful business oriented organizations! In my second year of serving as a state officer I can’t wait to take PA DECA to the #NextLevel.

Kyla Kospiah

Vice President of Community Outreach

Pennsylvania DECA

Hey PA DECA! My name is Kyla Kospiah, your 2020-2021 Vice President of Community Outreach. I am a senior at Northampton Area High School and have been heavily involved in DECA since my freshman year, also serving as vice president last year and chapter president this year. Outside of DECA, I am involved in volunteer club, scholastic scrimmage, NHS, and Spanish club. When I am not in school, I love hanging out with my friends, I work as an administrative assistant at a law office, I am an advocate for childhood cancer, I do research on various medical conditions, and I volunteer at Good Shepherd. I also love watching Grey’s Anatomy and Criminal Minds, I love going to the beach, and I can speak three languages! If you ever see me, please say hi! I would love to meet everyone. PA DECA, this year is going to be amazing, and I am so excited to see what we do!

Allie Keister

Vice President of Member Development

Pennsylvania DECA

Hi PA DECA!! My name is Allie Keister and I am extremely excited to serve this year as your 2020-2021 VP of Membership Development! Many of you may remember me from last year when I served as your District 4/5 Representative. This is my fourth and final year in PA DECA and I am beyond excited to work with everyone of you to grow this organization. In school, I am involved in national honor society, student council, class congress, theatre and cheer. Outside of DECA, you will most likely see me at a football game cheering on my team while being thrown in the air, on a cruise ship going to a tropical island, or heading to a concert. I also love spending time with my friends, family, and my dog Bruno. A fun fact about me is that I had the chance to go over to London and cheer in the new year’s day parade as an All American Cheerleader. I am so excited to meet all of you and introduce you all to a whole new world with PA DECA!!

Rohan Rao

Vice President of Business Partnerships

Pennsylvania DECA

What’s up PA DECA!! My name is Rohan Rao. I am honored to be your 2020-21 VP of Business Partnerships. As a rising senior at Downingtown STEM Academy, I have been blessed to have experienced DECA for three years now. My favorite part has always been meeting new people and strengthening our bonds. PA DECA is like its own family. Speaking of family, my brother Rahul also was the VP of Business Partnerships two years ago. I have learned a lot through his experiences as a state officer and plan to make the most of it in my term. Over quarantine, I have gotten to spend more time with my dog Buddy, and also started making music on FL Studio. I also am really into investing, so I spent a lot of time researching and buying stocks. Outside of DECA, I love action sports like snowboarding and skateboarding. I also am an avid fisher, and will never hesitate to tell you about the time I caught a Barracuda or swam with a lemon shark. I can’t wait to meet you all!

Daulton Bauer

District 1 Representative

Pennsylvania DECA

Hello PA DECA! I am Daulton Bauer and I am your District One Representative. I am a Junior at St. Marys Area High School. This year I am so excited to help district one’s membership grow and make us the best we can be! My family and I are avid Pitt fans and have been attending their football games for many years. Outside of DECA, I play football and I am a thrower for indoor and outdoor Track and Field. I am a member of my school’s Spanish and German clubs and I am on the planning committee for Foreign Language Day. I also participate in my schools ecology club and I am passionate about our environment. My hobbies include painting, cooking, weightlifting, and gardening. My favorite TV show is definitely The Office! I am so excited to serve PA DECA and make this year the best it can be!

Chase Davidson

District 2 Representative

Pennsylvania DECA

Hi PA DECA! My name is Chase Davidson and I am a senior at North Allegheny Senior High School. I am so excited and humbled to be your District 2 Representative this year! Although I only became involved in DECA during my junior year of high school, I fully took advantage of all it had to offer, including attending the Ultimate DECA Power Trip! Through DECA, I have met so many amazing people that share my goal of becoming a better leader. Through various means of communication, I hope to strengthen the relationships of DECA’s ever-growing emerging leaders. In addition to DECA, I am involved in Key Club, the Environmental Club, and I am the captain of the tennis team. I also enjoy laughing with friends to the point of tears, spontaneously traveling to the hidden gems of Pittsburgh, and snacking on my favorite food, mint chocolate chip ice cream. Additionally, I love everything nature has to offer, especially observing different birds and flowers. That is a little about ME, and I can’t wait to learn more about YOU in this “Whole New World” with PA DECA!

Lucia Coccagno

District 3 Representative

Pennsylvania DECA

Hello PA DECA! My name is Lucia Coccagno and I am a fourth year DECA member and senior at Bethel Park High School. I am very excited to be serving as your District 3 Rep this year. I can’t wait to meet all of you! Outside of DECA, I am involved in National Honors Society, Student Government, Homecoming Committee, Principal’s Advisory Council, German Club, Volleyball, Lacrosse, and Girl Scouts. I’m looking forward to increasing the members in District 3 and even adding a few new chapters. I can’t wait to work with team 70 and see the whole new world PA DECA has to offer this year!

Jessica Zajac

District 4/5 Representative

Pennsylvania DECA

Hey PA DECA, my name is Jessica Zajac and I am thrilled to be serving as your District 4/5 Representative! I am a senior at State College Area High School and though I am highly involved in many other activities, DECA is definitely my favorite. Joining DECA my freshman year was the best decision ever, as I have learned so many new skills and met so many incredible people. Outside of DECA I stay pretty busy by working at Wegmans, being a majorette for my high school, as well as the feature baton twirler for a local twirling group. I’m part of National Honor Society, National Technical Honor Society, and Tri-M, a music honor society. DECA and my other extracurriculars take up a majority of my time, but I love watching Pretty Little Liars in my down time! I am so excited for this year and would love to meet all of you, whether that be virtually or in-person! I cannot wait to take PA DECA to a Whole New World!

Taegen McCoy

District 6 Representative

Pennsylvania DECA

Hey PA DECA! My name is Taegen McCoy, and I am your District 6 Representative for the 2020-2021 school year. I attend Northern High School in a small town, Dillsburg, and will be going into my senior year. Time flies! This will be my second year of being a DECA member, and I am extremely excited to be a part of this wonderful program. Outside of DECA, I am involved in varsity tennis and the orchestra for Northern, along with the National Honours Society, Dillsburg Youth Baseball, dogsitting, and babysitting. I love to listen to music and am always looking for new suggestions. Also, if there’s a baseball game in town, you will most likely find me there. PA DECA, are you ready for a whole new world of fun and competition? I know I am, let’s hit this year out of the park!

Emilee Barkley

District 7 Representative

Pennsylvania DECA

Hey PA DECA I am Emilee Barkley and I am going to be your District 7 Rep for the 2020-2021 school year. My chapter is Lehigh CTI. I am going to be a sophomore this year. Some of my favorite things about DECA are how it brings everyone together and I like that I can have fun and learn at the same time. I play golf for Kutztown Area high school and I also dance. A fun fact about me is I have been going to state conferences since I was three weeks old. Lastly and most importantly I can’t wait to meet everyone and make this the best year ever.

Ashley DiOdoardo

District 8 Representative

Pennsylvania DECA

Hey PA DECA! I’m Ashley DiOdoardo, your District 8 Rep! I am a senior at Northampton Area High School, and I have been involved in DECA since my freshman year. Outside of DECA you can find me playing field hockey for my school or spending time on a lake somewhere. One of my favorite things to do is ski (non-competitively), and I’ve been doing it for 12 years! I also participate in scholastic scrimmage and have been one bowling league since elementary school. My favorite TV shows are Grey’s Anatomy and Criminal Minds. I am beyond excited to explore a whole new world with PA DECA this year!

Atishay Jain

District 9 Representative

Pennsylvania DECA

Hello PA DECA! I am Atishay Jain, your District 9 Representative, and a senior at the Downingtown STEM Academy. I have been a part of DECA since my freshman year. I have seen myself grow tremendously because of DECA, and I want to provide that experience for as many of you as possible – even through the strange virtual environment that we are in this year. In the summer and the fall you can find me on runs with my Cross Country team, whereas in the spring, I’ll be on the tennis courts. I am involved in TSA, and also enjoy volunteering at my local learning center. I hope you guys are just as excited as I am for this year and A Whole New World With PA DECA!

Catherine Fitzpatrick

District 11 Representative

Pennsylvania DECA

Hi PA DECA!! My name is Catherine Fitzpatrick and I’m so excited to serve as your District 11 Representative! I’m currently a senior at Plymouth Whitemarsh High School. I decided to join DECA in my Sophomore Year, and I’ve enjoyed every second of it. Outside of DECA, I’m president of my DECA chapter, and also president of my school’s Mock Trial Team. I’m also heavily involved in my school’s National Honors Society, Robotics Club, Principal Advisory Council, Student Government, EntrepreHER, to name a few. As you can imagine I’m quite busy, so I like to relax by volunteering with Shriners Hospital and Setting Scoliosis Straight; taking walks; cheering for the Flyers, and listening to music. I can’t wait to work with all of you!! Feel free to reach out at any time!

2021 State Career Development Conference

Schedule

Opening Ceremony

DECA After Dark - "Among Us" Night

Lead Already

College Internships

Digital Media with Adobe Spark

College Conversations

Who Are You?

Find Free Money for College

Social Entrepreneurship

Teaching Social Entrepreneurship (Advisors)

Communication and Style Flexing

How to Ace the Interview

Officer Live Stream at Chocolate World

How to Financially Prepare for Your Next Level

Pennsylvania DECA Fashion Show

Mini Awards Ceremony

DECA After Dark - Trivia Night

Grand Awards Ceremony & Installation of 2021-2022 State Officers

Sponsors

Speakers

State Officers

Alix Rouby

18 February

College Internships

Catherine Horton

18 February

Who Are You?

Emily Miller

18 February

Digital Media with Adobe Spark

Gina Borgesi

18 February

How to Ace the Interview

Kelly Laukemann

18 February

Find Free Money for College

Nicole McCartan

18 February

Communication and Style Flexing

Riley Brown

18 February

Lead Already

Ryan Rivera

18 February

How to Financially Prepare for Your Next Level

Tiffany Yau

18 February

Social Entrepreneurship

18 February

Teaching Social Entrepreneurship (Advisors)

Lizzie Guan

18 February

College Conversations

Ryan Vogt

Kate Briegel

Kyla Kospiah

Allie Keister

Rohan Rao

Daulton Bauer

Chase Davidson

Lucia Coccagno

Jessica Zajac

Taegen McCoy

Emilee Barkley

Ashley DiOdoardo

Atishay Jain

Catherine Fitzpatrick

Microsoft

Clearpoint Business Group

Pulse Productions

LeBow College of Business

Hershey Lodge

Jerry DiGiovanni

Jefferson University

PA Cyber

Opening Ceremony

DECA After Dark - "Among Us" Night

Lead Already