The James Buchanan High School business club, DECA, wraps up another successful school year. The club, which has continued to grow and achieve, continues to demonstrate exceptional skill, teamwork, and professionalism as students had the opportunity this year to compete against peers from eight other high schools from across the region at the District 5 Career and Development Conference held at York College of PA.
Held December 9, 2025, the district competition allows students to showcase their knowledge in areas such as finance, marketing, entrepreneurship, management, and business communication. The club did a tremendous job with students placing in their respective events. Kelsi Toledo and Justin Kuhns placed third in Principles of Marketing and Entrepreneurship. Grayden Landis and Ethan Myers placed second in Apparel and Accessories Marketing and Principles of Entrepreneurship. The team of Ben Leasure and Logan Swailes placed first in Sports and Entertainment Marketing Team Decision Making event!
“We are incredibly proud of our students’ hard work and dedication,” said Moriah Steinberger, one the club’s advisor. “They put in hours of preparation and showed outstanding leadership and creativity. Their success reflects not only their efforts, but also the support of our school and community.”
This year’s achievements represent a significant step forward for the club, which has been expanding its programs to include local business partnerships, and hands-on learning experiences. A special thank you to Ray Frazer (State Farm Insurance) for coming in and helping the students prepare for the competition. Many of our DECA members will be continuing in careers for business, marketing, or entrepreneurship.
With the success of these students, they had the opportunity to advance to the PA State Career and Development Conference in Hershey but were unable to attend due to inadequate funds. Steinberger says, “Although we were unable to attend the state competition, I am incredibly proud and honored to be a part of this experience with these students and to watch them grow academically and professionally. I want to be able to provide them with as much professional and real-life opportunities as possible.”
Parents, teachers, and community sponsors have expressed pride in the club’s accomplishments, noting the growing opportunities it provides for students to build future-ready skills. A special thank you to our parents and teachers for their continuing support on so many different levels. A huge thank you to our sponsors who have also made these opportunities available for the DECA Club this year: Community State Bank in Mercersburg, Patriot Federal Credit Union, Ray Frazer from State Farm Insurance, E&B Welding, and Elite Cleaning Services. Without your support, our club wouldn’t be able to accomplish great things!
If you are interested in becoming a sponsor for the 2026-2027 school year, please reach out to the club’s advisors: Moriah Steinberger (mrstei@tusge.org) or Linda Rife (lrife@tusge.org).
