Josh Burns senior at Francis Howell Central (FHC) High School represented the FHC DECA chapter as an international grand finalist (top ten) at the 2012 International Career Development Conference in the Business Services Management category. Burns joined more than 15,000 students in Salt Lake City, Utah for a four-day competition which concluded May 2.

DECA’s competitive events are designed to contribute to the development of competencies needed for careers in marketing, management and merchandising, to motivate students to assume responsibility for self-improvement and self-discipline, to assist students in acquiring a realistic self-concept through individual and group activities and to provide visibility for the educational goals and objectives of marketing education.

DECA is the only international organization specifically designed to reinforce the occupational competencies of high school students who wish to pursue a career in marketing, merchandising or management. More than 180,000 students from the United States, Canada, Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands are involved in this organization.