Bridgewater-Raritan High School students who are members of DECA, Saketh Bongu, Manas Gumedelli, Alexander Kellam, and Neel Wakde, placed fifth nationally when they represented New Jersey in the highly competitive Adam Smith Division of the National Economics Challenge (NEC) held in Atlanta, Georgia, from May 28–30.
Guided by their DECA Advisor, Shilpa Wakde, the team competed against the best high school economics students from across the country.
According to Ms. Wakde, the Adam Smith Division is the most rigorous level of the National Economics Challenge, reserved for students taking AP, IB, or honors-level economics courses. With sharp analytical thinking, deep content knowledge, and excellent teamwork, our students rose to the challenge with confidence and poise.
After advancing through both regional and state competitions, the Bridgewater-Raritan High School team achieved its extraordinary fifth-place finish. That high placement established Bridgewater-Raritan High School as one of the top economics teams in the United States.
“This remarkable accomplishment reflects not only the students’ hard work and academic excellence but also the strength of the DECA and economics programs at Bridgewater-Raritan High School. We are incredibly proud of Saketh, Manas, Alexander, and Neel for representing our school and state on the national stage with such distinction,” said Ms. Wakde, who is a French Teacher and also serves as the Co-Advisor of the French Honor Society at the high school
She concluded:
“Congratulations to Saketh, Manas, Alexander, and Neel on this remarkable achievement!”