Lincoln Park High Schools students honored at DECA Conference

Lincoln Park High School DECA team students were honored for their leadership, business and marketing skills at the recent DECA International Career Development Conference in Atlanta. The DECA team’s continued success highlights the district’s ongoing commitment to preparing all Railsplitters for in-demand careers.

The DECA team’s Food Service Operations and Retail Operations teams received gold level recertification for 2025-2026 for their roles in operating The Crossing, the high school’s highly successful student-run store.

The Railsplitter teams were recognized during the conference, which took place April 25-28 and was expected to draw more than 25,000 students, teacher-advisors, business professionals and alumni from across the country.

Here’s who attended from LPS

Four Lincoln Park High School DECA team members Elizabeth Woolf, Celina Diaz, Alexander Garcia Gomez and Jazmine Gaytan earned their placement to the conference and attended.

LPHS students Isabella Wigginton and Desiray Faes represented the school at the Thrive Academy, part of DECA’s prestigious Emerging Leader Series at the International Career Development Conference.

This exclusive leadership experience brings together top-performing chapters from across the globe to engage in high-impact training focused on communication, collaboration and innovative chapter growth strategies.

Through interactive workshops and networking with other high-achieving members, the Lincoln Park students gained valuable skills and fresh ideas to elevate their leadership and further strengthen the school’s DECA program.

‘So proud’

“I am so proud of what these students have accomplished, and I am thrilled they had the opportunity to attend the conference in Atlanta and be recognized as future leaders in business,” said Leslie Barragan, the school’s DECA team advisor.

“This conference provided our students with the chance to interact and network with other future leaders from around the country and apply the skills they’ve learned here in Lincoln Park.”

At The Crossing, the Railsplitters learn to provide goods and services that meet the needs of the market. In the process, they get hands-on experience in a setting that aligns to the National Curriculum Standards in marketing, finance, hospitality and management.

“Congratulations to our Railsplitter DECA teams for being recognized for their hard work on an international stage and for their continued success in running The Crossing,” said Terry Dangerfield, Lincoln Park Public Schools superintendent.

“Our popular and growing DECA program is just one example of our ongoing commitment to preparing our students for success and the in-demand careers of today and tomorrow.”