DECA students compete on national level

By James Pease II

The Loris High School DECA business competition team recently competed at the 2026 International Career Development Conference in Atlanta, Georgia.

This is the first year the school has had a team make it to the final rounds.

Caitie Black and Luke Martin competed as a team and placed in the top eight percent of 240 teams competing in the Entrepreneurship Team Decision Making event.

The pair had to complete a 100 question test and build a solution to a case study that was then judged.

Black and Martin competed in the region and state levels in order to qualify for international competition.

Loris High School students Miranda Cuison, Natalie Contreras and Madelyn Singletary also competed at the competition.

DECA is a business organization for students that prepares high school and college students for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality and management.

“Caitie and Luke are a dynamic team,” said Terri Daniels, competition coach for the Loris High School DECA team. “They are fantastic individually and even more so when put together. They are graduating this year and we are going to miss them greatly. The pair have really grown a lot in the last two years as competitors and I wish nothing but success for them.”