From April 26 to May 1, ICDC participant and DECA member Chloe Fan (’26) embarked on a remarkable journey in (ICDC) organized by DECA. Despite facing challenges like balancing finals and AP tests, Fan’s determination and preparation led her to a memorable experience at ICDC.
Fan’s preparation for ICDC was multifaceted. Given her event, she researched and worked hard to stay in the competition while also asking for help from other team members, a strategy that resonated well with the judges. Additionally, practicing role plays with family and friends, and taking guidance from experienced peers contributed significantly to her success.
“I was in the middle preparing for AP finals and the AP World Final and also AP exams so I didn’t have too much time to prepare for ICDC but I practiced with my sister because she was a previous DECA member,” said Fan.
Despite having finals and AP exams, Chloe used her time wisely, studying during plane rides and free moments at the hotel, showing resilience and dedication.
“I didn’t have too much time to prepare for ICDC but what I did was since we had to fly by plane to LA, I studied a little bit on the plane and also during our free time while we were staying at the hotel just taking as much time as I could to prepare,” said Fan.
Chloe found the unpredictable role-play prompts challenging but saw them as a learning opportunity. She was pleasantly surprised by her performance and recognition, showing us the unpredictability of competitions like ICDC.
“For role plays, since you don’t really know what the prompt is ahead of time it’s always unexpected and it’s hard to prepare except for just looking at the current trends like practicing talking to other people. The prompt was actually hard this year and unexpected. It was unexpected that I was placed but I was super happy about it.” said Fan.
Fan found networking and independence to be valuable lessons from her ICDC journey. Meeting new people from different backgrounds expanded her professional network and personal growth. Traveling alone and exploring new places boosted her independence and confidence for the future.
“The most important lesson that I learned going to ICDC is networking and meeting new people because I would never talk to some people from Ohio and I met someone from New Jersey. I would never talk to them if I hadn’t gone to ICDC but also another important lesson I’ve learned is independence. I feel like overall I’m a pretty independent person but through DECA, I got to fly in an airplane by myself and explore LA without my parents and family. It’s like a new experience.” said Fan.
