The Melissa High School Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) team is proud to celebrate 22 students who qualified for the state competition following strong performances at the District DECA Competition on Monday, January 12, 2026, at the Irving Convention Center. The event brought together more than 2,800 students from local schools, including 75 Cardinals, who showcased their skills in Business, Marketing, and Entrepreneurship. MHS students advanced to the state level across all areas of competition.
DECA competitions provide students with the opportunity to apply their business knowledge in real-world scenarios, where they are judged on creativity, problem-solving, and communication. These students demonstrated exceptional professionalism, preparation, and leadership while competing against schools from across the district. Advancing to state is a significant accomplishment and reflects their hard work and dedication, as well as the strong support of our DECA advisors Philip and Brooke Pendleton.
Mrs. Pendleton spoke about what an outstanding accomplishment this is for all of the DECA students who participated at district, “At the beginning of the year, we tell kids that if they are hesitant to do DECA because they don’t think they can speak in front of people, make presentations, write papers or come up with a solution to a problem on the fly, then that is more reason to join DECA. We want them to learn these skills in high school when it is okay to mess up, learn, and refine their skills. Our goal is for them to learn these skills while they have support from their families, advisors and peers with experience! All the kids that competed, even the ones that didn’t advance, should feel proud and accomplished for trying their hand at some of these skills.”
“Looking back on my time in DECA, it’s hard to believe I’m the same person who started out too nervous to even give a presentation. What began as a way to find my voice eventually sparked a genuine passion for business that I’ll be pursuing in college next year,” said Senior Kanisha Muthukumar Kavitha. “Being an officer specifically showed me the real weight of leadership, but more importantly, it gave me a family that welcomed me with open arms, especially under the Pendletons’ guidance. In the end, the degree is the goal, but the people I met here and the experiences I shared are the reason I’m chasing it.”
“DECA has been one of the most memorable and impactful experiences of my high school career. It challenged me to think on my feet, perform under pressure, and truly understand how the business world works,” said Senior Suvan Vajjaha. “Through competitions, leadership roles, and teamwork, I learned how to communicate effectively, leverage my strengths, and build lasting connections with peers and skills I know I’ll carry with me far beyond DECA.”
Reflecting on her time in the DECA program, Senior Sheetal Kiran said, “I joined DECA thinking it was just another business club, something to improve my public speaking and move on. I was wrong. From serving as Secretary my first year to leading as President, DECA became my second family and the place where I learned to believe in myself. The nerves before awards, the chaos before competition, and the relief after presentations changed me and taught me something new each time. Watching our chapter grow and more names called for State showed me how much this community truly matters. Thank you, Melissa DECA, for welcoming me even when I doubted myself. Thank you Coach and Mrs. Pendleton for always supporting us and giving us the resources to succeed. And thank you to everyone who passionately represented DECA as now I am sure that this club is in safe hands after I leave.”
The State Career Development Conference will be held February 19-21, 2026, at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas, TX.
Please join us in congratulating our DECA students on this achievement and wishing them the best of luck as they represent Melissa High School at the state level!
DECA Students Qualified for State:
Innovation Plan (Team)
Ayan Bhardwaj
Sholk Chaubey
Suvan Vajjaha
Innovation Plan (Team)
Vanshika Pathani
Pramath Mandya Raghavendra
Innovation Plan (Team)
Sai Anjali Kallakuri
Sai Rishi Kancharlapalli
Innovation Plan
Sarthak Sharma
Principles of Finance
Naghul Annadurai
Finance Operations Research Event
Anika Numburi
Automotive Services Marketing Series
Pranad Arcot
Sports & Entertainment Operations Research (Team)
Kayla Casanova
Anvi Gupta
Sports & Entertainment Marketing Series
Chloe McGee
Sports Entertainment Marketing Series
Sam Dixon
Business Service Operations Research (Team)
Aashritha Nerella
Sheetal Kiran
Principles of Business Management & Administration
Viswa Sai Tej Pamidi
Hospitality & Tourism Operations Research (Team)
Noah Pendleton
Parin Mandya Raghavendra
Lillian Nabors
Hotel & Lodging Management Series
Akshay Mootakoduru