DECA at SMCS: From a Small Club to the International Stage
Twelve years ago, DECA at St. Michael’s College School (SMCS) started with about 10 students. This year, more than 100 students competed. That kind of growth doesn’t happen on its own—it comes from students who take the programme seriously and staff who build something worth showing up for. Arjun Sivakumar, Grade 11 Shelain Fernando, Grade 11 DECA gives students a chance to compete in business scenarios that go well beyond anything covered in a classroom. Role-plays, written events, case studies, and presentations—the events push students to think fast, communicate clearly, and back up their ideas under pressure. The areas of focus range from marketing and finance to entrepreneurship and hospitality, offering real breadth for students to explore. One thing that has shaped the programme at SMCS is how it brings together students from Grades 9 through 12. Older students mentor younger ones, and that culture of passing knowledge down has helped build consistency in how the team competes and carries itself. A turning point came in 2015 when Julian Greco ’18 became the first SMCS student to qualify for the International Career Development Conference (ICDC), setting a standard for future students and the programme. This year, two students cleared that bar—Arjun Sivakumar and Shelain Fernando both qualified for the 2026 ICDC in Atlanta. “DECA at St. Mike’s has evolved into far more than a business competition club—it’s an extension of the school’s commitment to leadership, character development, and experiential education,” says Dr. Daniel Lumsden ’96, community engagement and learning lead. “Students are encouraged to take risks, think globally, and develop the confidence to succeed in an increasingly competitive world.” Here is what our students took away from the ICDC experience: Arjun Sivakumar: “I originally joined DECA to bridge the gap between my passion for STEM and the realities of the professional world. While my long-term goals lie in
