Abraham Clark HS DECA Conference

Dear friends, colleagues, community members, and supporters,

My name is Ryan Norwood and I have the honor of advising some of the most engaged, positive students in the country. I currently serve as the advisor for Abraham Clark High School's DECA Chapter.  DECA is a co-curricular organization that helps prepare emerging leaders and entrepreneurs for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management.

This is our second year as a chapter and it has been immensely successful by any measure. We now have a total membership of over 50 students and 20 community professionals. Over the course of the year our students raised over $900 to support the Bridge of Books Foundation, planned and executed numerous fund raisers, helped improve school spirit by running our RamNation School Store, and thrived at business competitions at Kean University and in Atlantic City. All of this has helped improve their confidence, given them a healthy outlet to spend time after school, and created a new community here at school that we can all be proud of.  

Now we need your help!

Based on chapter and individual successes at the State Competition in Atlantic City our chapter has 9 students who have earned the right to attend the International Career and Development Conference in Atlanta, GA from April 21-24. This is an incredible opportunity for these students and a great source of pride for the community of Roselle. Unfortunately, our students cannot afford to go without a lot of help. They are fundraising at school for the whole month but they will need a lot of additional support in order to raise the $11,500 target that they must reach by the end of March. This money will go towards all of the airfare, lodging, meal, event, and registration costs for the students and two chaperones to attend. 

Attending this conference would be a dream come true for our students. The conference will help our chapter grow stronger for next year as many of our attendees will be underclassmen who will attend a leadership development academy while there. One of our students will even be competing on behalf of the entire state of New Jersey against top competitors from across the world!

Please consider making a donation to help support this cause. There are few opportunities where a donation will make such a direct, immediate, and meaningful impact as this one. Let's show these students that anything is possible when a community rallies behind them. 

Thank you for your time and generosity. 

Sincerely,
Ryan W. Norwood
Abraham Clark HS DECA Advisor

****If we have any left over funds from this fundraiser we plan to put them into a fund for next year's ACHS DECA scholars to compete. This will allow us to set a foundation that will support their future success. Thank you again!