LIMA, Ohio (WLIO) -Â Lima Senior High School students received a warm welcome Thursday afternoon as family and friends gathered outside the school to greet 17 students returning from the DECA International Career Development Conference in Orlando, Florida.
This marks just the second DECA world championship trophy in Lima Senior’s history; the last was earned more than a decade ago, in 2011.
Among the group was the trio of seniors on the Sales Project Team, Christian Ackerman, Mallory Gipson and Davyon Williamson, who brought home the first-place trophy. This marks just the second DECA world championship trophy in Lima Senior’s history; the last was earned more than a decade ago, in 2011. Even a day after their win, the students said the moment still doesn’t feel real.
"We all kind of didn't really believe it at first, and still I don't believe it. We're even home now, holding the glass, and it's still, it's just amazing. It's just a great feeling. We've come such a long way," said Christian Ackerman, senior at Lima Senior High School.
"I think what we'll take away, most of all, is just the sense of family that we kind of gathered throughout this trip. We bonded in ways that we haven't within the classroom, and not only that, but having this for not just us, but the entire city of Lima really brought us together. And I think it's so important to have that sense of community. It was amazing," said Davyon Williamson, senior at Lima Senior High School.
The students also expressed gratitude to the staff at Lima Senior and the wider community for supporting them throughout their journey.
