SANJITA SRINATH

Dress to impress. The first 10 seconds are key. Write quickly and don’t double-think. Do I have my ID in my bag? All of these thoughts flitted through my head at least 10 times each during the course of the 3 days I spent in Atlanta, Georgia for the International Career Development Conference.

I shook hands with competitors I had met at the state conference and joked with Tyler Tran, a vice president from our state, who shared my taste in music. I waved at people I had waited in line for testing with at the Georgia Aquarium and when I went back to my hotel, my chapter and I would sit together in the lobby and stare up 47 floors. I sat with bated breath during the various awards ceremonies and cheered with joy when my friend), won her blue medallion and I heard my friends cheer for me when my name was called.

As I reflect back on my experience at the International Career Development Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, I am reminded of the hard work and dedication that it took to reach the top 10 in my event. Throughout the conference, I had the opportunity to connect with other competitors and hear about their experiences and insights, which helped me to grow both personally and professionally.

I walked the same halls Super Bowl players walked in with my blue heels clicking across the ground and the two medals I shoved in my pocket clinking against each other and the name tag I was told to put in the pocket of my blue blazer.

When I’m bored, I like to search for my name on the Internet. “Sanjita Srinath.” Before this, I would find old presentations I made for social studies using Prezi or the A Honor Roll from my elementary school or even my Junior Beta Club induction from the eighth grade. Now, the first result I see is my county posting about my (and others from my school’s) achievements at the State Career Development Conference and even a post on DECA Direct with my name in it. The exhilaration I feel when I see this is not pride or ego about winning an honor, in fact, it is pride in building my online presence through my hard work and subsequent accomplishments. The work I put into DECA involved meeting with former ICDC competitors to learn from them, running through numerous fake scenarios, and conducting research on trends in the Automotive industry.

Every competitor this year at the conference will vividly remember the executive president, O’Brien, saying “Maximize your Momentum.” And this phrase holds deep meaning. Maximize your momentum, take your failures and successes and learn from them, and take every moment around you to move forward, toward success and toward something you love.

Looking forward, I am excited to continue building my online presence and achieving my future goals. I am grateful for the support of my mentors and peers, who have helped me to maximize my momentum and push past my limits. I know that there is always more to learn and explore, and I am eager to stay curious and true to the tone of humility and gratitude that I have cultivated throughout my DECA journey.

I am ready to Get the Edge next year!