In 20 years, Post Falls High School has had the privilege of being the home school to four students who extraordinarily excelled at DECA’s International Career Development Conference.

Second-year DECA student and Post Falls senior Micah Green has bumped that number to five.

"Micah is only my second student to advance to finals in all the years I’ve been doing this, so it’s a really big deal," said Post Falls High marketing teacher and DECA co-adviser Della Grice, who has been a DECA adviser since the late 1990s.

"There are a lot of competitors in all the events, and the events are petty high level for a high school student," she said. "Micah, he's just a really bright student."

Post Falls High DECA members earned high honors at DECA's annual International Career Development Conference, which was held April 21-25 in Orlando.

Green received recognition at the international level when he placed as a finalist in the Business Finance Series event. This accomplishment also earned him a $4,000 scholarship to Washington State University through the Clarkston College of Business.

"It was really unanticipated," Green said. "It's such a hard measure to meet. You’re going against the best in the world."

Green demonstrated a remarkable understanding and comprehension of business finance, as illustrated by his performance in a real-world role-play scenario as well as on a difficult 100-question written test.

"Role-play first went well," Green said. "The second was a shot in the dark. I’d hoped I’d nailed it, or I failed it."

Ryan Vordahl, Post Falls High DECA co-adviser, said Green is a determined and driven individual.

"When he puts his mind to something, he can accomplish it," Vordahl said. "He set his goal out and he actually did it. To make that cut, it’s huge. You’re talking about the top 1% in the world because that’s an international career development conference."

During the school year, roughly 100,000 of DECA’s 224,000 high school student members take part in the organization’s competitive events, allowing them to compete for local, regional and association titles. The contests simulate real-world business scenarios and test the students on their academic skills and understanding of the subjects. The top association winners put their talents to the test during the program’s final round of competition in Orlando.

The DECA International Career Development Conference was the pinnacle of competition where more than 22,000 students vied for international honors. Scholarships and awards totaling more than $200,000 were presented to students and teachers for their achievements.

“I am extremely grateful for the opportunities that have been presented to me in DECA over the past two years," Green said. "This program has given me the opportunity to benchmark my own understanding of the business world against the brightest scholars in the world. My achievements would not have been possible without the efforts of Mr. Vordahl and Mrs. Grice, the advisers of the local chapter. I hope that this years’ successes will be a catalyst for the future success of Post Falls High School DECA.”

DECA — formerly Distributive Education Clubs of America — prepares future leaders and entrepreneurs for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality and management in high schools and colleges around the world.