Eagle News

We’re proud of our chapter for representing CCA well at the 2026 NC DECA Career Development Conference in Greensboro held Thursday through Saturday, February 26-28. Twenty-one of the 27 CCA students who participated in competitive events achieved proficiency ratings. Seven students also earned competency medals for the marketing cluster exam, including the lone senior in the group, Carson Perry. (Additional information may be added to this story as it becomes available.)

The students are learning valuable skills that they can use in and out of school. A special thank you to advisor/marketing teacher Natalie Chubbs and other chaperones who supported the students.

The CCA chapter of National Honor Society (NHS) is partnering with the Christians United Outreach Center of Lee County to sponsor a food drive through Thursday, November 20. All types of items are appreciated, but ones often used in Thanksgiving meals will be added to special boxes the Center will distribute to area families before the holiday. Students can leave donations of shelf-stable items in their first period classes. The class that donates the most items will receive a prize. Community members are invited to participate as well and can send donations with students or drop items off at the school reception area.

On Tuesday, October 28, the CCA chapter of DECA participated in the District 4 competition. There were 677 students from area counties registered for the event. Of the 43 students who represented CCA, over half were first-time attendees.

Each competitive area involved a test taken in the days before the district event and a role play with a judge on the competition day. Thirty-one CCA students earned proficiency in their events. Proficiency means the competitor had a combined score of 70% or higher for their category in testing and their in-person role play event.

Top 10 Recognitions:

• Cora Stumpf – Top 10 role play score in the Principles of Marketing event

• Charlotte Miller – Top 10 test score in the Quick Serve Restaurant Management event

Highest Scorers for CCA Overall (in order)

1. Charlotte Miller
2. Marshall Harding (1st time competitor)
3. Gracie Norris
4. Cora Stumpf (1st time competitor)
5. Helen Mistler
6. Braxton Guseman
7. Abby Ashley
8. Sienna Richardson
9. Thailik McCormick
10. Avery McFarland

“I am super proud of their hard work so far. Now we are preparing for the state competition that will be held in February and will have at minimum 5,000 people in attendance,” said advisor and marketing teacher Natalie Chubbs.

The CCA chapter of DECA participated in events during the annual North Carolina DECA Career Development Conference (CDC) in Greensboro from Thursday, February 27, through Saturday, March 1. Workshops, training sessions, exhibits, general sessions, and competitive events were among the offerings of the Conference. Twenty-four students competed in various areas of business and marketing to demonstrate proficiency. Over 5,900 high school students from across the state participated in the 2025 Conference.

Results from the 2025 North Carolina DECA Career Development Events

The team of Kinleigh Westbrook, Abby Ashley, and Lexi Fish all earned proficiency from a combination of testing and interview, placed sixth in their competition and are now eligible to compete at the International Career Development Conference (ICDC) in Florida this April.  

Other students who achieved proficiency in their competitive events were:

• Lily Liles and Gracie Norris (Hospitality Services)

• Tanner Reichel and Sara Forte (Travel & Tourism Marketing)

• Jenali Miller and Carson Perry (Personal Selling)

• Jude Stump (Entrepreneurship Business Plan)

• Avery Mcfarland, Helen Mistler, and Charlotte Miller (Hotel Lodging Management)

• Kyra McGee and Jacelyn Scott (Quick Serve Restaurant Management)

• Thailik McCormack (Principles of Marketing)

• Raiah Dona (Apparel and Accessories Marketing)

About the Areas of Competition

“We had a combination of students working in teams and as individuals on projects and presentations that had to be submitted for review ahead of time,” explained advisor Natalie Chubbs.

Two separate groups of students competed in the Community Awareness Project. The first group (Kinleigh Westbrook, Abby Ashley, and Lexi Fish) had a topic that brought attention to impacts of hearing loss and Cholesteatomas. Their project was entitled “Can you hear me?” Seniors Danika Brewster, Brea Williamson, and Tatum Cole in the second group chose a project that addressed “The Urgent Crisis of Fentanyl.”  A third presentation was in a competitive category that required submission prior to the competition. As a second phase of the Entrepreneurship Business Plan event, Jude Stump introduced a business plan. All of the students presented in front of judges during the competition in Greensboro.

In addition, two students participated in professional selling events. Chapter president Jenali Miller made a proposal on sustainability recommendations for a major hotel chain. Carson Perry presented recommendations for a customer relations management system for a major retail chain.

Two separate teams represented the school in team decision making events. Lily Liles and Gracie Norris chose the Hospitality Services competition. Tanner Reichel and Sara Forte participated in the Travel & Tourism Marketing category.

In November over thirty students participated in district level competitions. They built on experience gained there to help in preparing for the state Career Development Events (CDE).

During the mid-February YMCA Youth & Government (YAG) 2025 conference at the Raleigh Convention Center, Central Carolina Academy’s delegation made an impressive impact in both the legislative and judicial branches of the program. The Central Carolina Academy delegation included Reagan Cameron, Mason Edwards, Sara Forte, Bailey Hilton, Piper Laverentz, Lily Liles, Avery McFarland, and Jude Stumpf. The students dedicated months to researching, drafting, and refining bills to present at the Youth & Government conference. Their efforts resulted in all three bills advancing beyond the initial committee stage.

Legislative Success

The bills presented by the CCA delegation included:

• Proposed changing the state gemstone from Emerald to Hedonite. The bill successfully moved out of committee and advanced into the second round of presentations. (Bailey Hilton and Mason Edwards)
• Advocated for adding instructions on how to use an EpiPen and an AED to North Carolina’s high school healthful living standards. The bill also made it out of committee and into the second round of presentations. (Lily Liles, Avery McFarland and Piper Laverentz)
• Proposed requiring all NC public school teachers to be CPR-certified. This bill successfully passed through all four rounds of presentations and was ultimately recognized as law within the Youth Legislature. (Sara Forte and Reagan Cameron)

Mock Trial Excellence

Jude Stumpf represented Central Carolina Academy in the highly competitive Mock Trial component of YAG. After months of preparation with his team and coach, Jude helped present two cases, leading his team to victory in the prestigious All-Stars round. His exceptional performance earned him the title of Model Attorney, a top honor in the program. In addition to this remarkable achievement, Jude’s recognition as Model Attorney for the Conference also earned him a spot on the 2026 YAG Officer Team, highlighting his dedication and leadership skills.

Understanding the Bill Process

Students researched and wrote a bill throughout the school year that was submitted for presentation at the conference. The process follows real-world legislative procedures:

1. Committee Stage: Students present their bills, answer questions, and engage in debates. Only the most well-supported bills advance.
2. Chambers of the House and Senate: Bills that pass committee move forward, requiring further presentation and debate.
3. Governor’s Cabinet: The final round includes review and approval by Youth & Government leadership, simulating real-world passage into law.

For a bill to be officially recognized as passed by the NC Youth Legislature, it must be presented successfully four times. This year, Central Carolina Academy had all three bills make it through the first round, with one ultimately passing into law.

A Bright Future for Youth Leadership

The YMCA Youth & Government program continues to be an invaluable opportunity for students to engage in civic leadership, learn about government processes, and develop critical public speaking and debate skills. The outstanding performance of Central Carolina Academy’s delegation highlights their dedication, intellect, and leadership potential. In addition, three other YAG chapter members, Michael, DiFede, Jordan Egbert, and Tanner Reichel, did not participate in the state competition, but made important contributions during the preparation process for the bills. Faculty advisor Tracy Jones, a former YAG participant, has worked tirelessly throughout the year to prepare the CCA delegates. Her dedication and commitment have been instrumental in creating the state level opportunity for Central Carolina Academy students.

*click an image to view full size.

Approximately 500 high school students from schools in Alamance, Chatham, Durham, Granville, Lee, and Orange counties participated in a district DECA competition on Thursday, November 21, at the Wicker Civic Center in Sanford. The Central Carolina Academy chapter brought 35 chapter members.

In addition to a written test taken prior to the competition, each competitor participated in a role play using a real world scenario as part of the event. The 2024 district competitions were: Principles of Business Management and Administration, Sports and Entertainment Marketing, Quick Serve Restaurant Management, and Retail Merchandising Series. After having a short time to prepare, each student presented their plan to a judge, who also took on a role within the event scenario. Volunteers from a wide variety of career fields served as event judges. The scores students earned were a combination of test and role play scores.

Of the 35 CCA students who competed, 21 received proficiency in their area of competition. Jude Stumpf received top 10 for Principles of Business Marketing. Alizah O’Quinn received top 10 for Quick Serve Restaurant Management.

The school’s DECA chapter will now begin preparing for the state competition in February. They are supported by chapter co-advisors Natalie Chubbs (marketing teacher) and Darlene McDowell as well as several other staff members.

Central Carolina Academy held an induction ceremony for its inaugural class of National Honor Society members on Tuesday, April 23. The 2024 inductees are: Peyton Burgess, Grace Fonke, Audrey Jacobs, Jenali MIller, Lila Mullen, Alizah O’Quinn, and Jolie Sullivan. The administration and staff expressed how proud they are of the inductees’ achievements and that they look forward to seeing the positive impacts the students will continue to make in the school and the community.

The CCA chapter is named in honor of the school principal and will be called the Gregory D. Batten Chapter. National Honor Society promotes and honors students who exemplify a blend of excellent scholarship, leadership, character and service to the community and school.

The CCA chapter of DECA, an organization of marketing students, had a successful 2024 state competition experience. Students were involved in events and activities at the NC DECA Career Development Conference in Greensboro from Thursday, February 29, through Saturday, March 2. There were 5,086 people in attendance this year versus nearly 4,000 at last year’s conference. 

CCA earned Achievement Level status for its Community Outreach initiatives as a chapter and a pennant for the membership campaign for doubling chapter membership from last year.  In addition, several of the 17 CCA attendees received recognition at the state level for their testing, presentations and overall performance. Many students met proficiency for their overall testing and roleplay performance scores combined.

CCA DECA member competition areas:

1. Alizah O’Quinn (11th) – earned medalist ranking as a top 10 in the state for her test score for Principles of Marketing

2. Gabby Mantalvo-Lentine (11th) – Proficiency in Financial Consulting Event (project presentation) 

3. Jordan Egbert (9th), Lexi Fish (9th), and Kinleigh Westbrook (10th) – Community Project Awareness (They collectively submitted a 17-page report prior to the competition and had to prepare a physical presentation at the conference.)

4. Abby Ashley & Tanner Reichel (9th) – Hospitality Services Team Decision Making (partners) 

Jude Stumpf (9th) – Principles of Finance 

Sarah Forte (9th) – Principles of Finance 

Kennedy White (9th) – Principles of Marketing 

Raiah Donna (9th) – Principles of Marketing 

Jenali Miller (11th) – Hotel Lodging and Management 

William Touchard – (10th) Hotel Lodging and Management

“Central Carolina Academy is looking forward to another productive and successful competition season coming up next fall! Let’s continue to SOAR. Go Eagles!” said chapter advisor and marketing teacher Natalie Chubbs.