Alumni
The skills, friendships, and competitive spirit you built in Academic Decathlon don't end at graduation. Stay connected with the community that shaped you.
Stay Connected
Thousands of Texans have competed in Academic Decathlon, Octathlon, Pentathlon, and the Lone Star Challenge over the program's 35+ year history. Many alumni go on to careers in education, law, medicine, business, and public service — and many credit their Decathlon experience as a turning point.
We love hearing from former competitors. Share your story, reconnect with old teammates, and find out how you can give back to the program that helped shape you.
By the Numbers
Alumni Testimonials
Hear from former competitors about how Academic Decathlon shaped their path.
My AcaDec team ended up as some of my closest friends and a great resource for extra help with other school subjects from team members. The amount of reading and work involved in AcaDec also helped me learn the best ways for me to study. The training for the Interview and Speech events was very helpful for my public speaking skills, as well as helping me better understand how to get my point across concisely. The Interview event especially has helped me become more comfortable in interview settings, which was invaluable as I interviewed with prospective colleges and then with internships and co-ops.
Will Scales
Manufacturing Engineering Co-op, Eaton Aerospace · Drexel University
My participating in AcDec really paved a way for my family and life. I always found myself tackling opportunities and extracurriculars and this was perfect. In college, everything was easier because I had already taken essentially 10 classes in one; I could do anything without stress! In AcDec, I went to State, made terrific friends, found young love in those days… In fact, my fiancée and I bonded over the commonality that we had both participated in AcDec in our younger years. My youngest sister joined a couple years after I did, and then my dad, a teacher, began coaching it. In fact, he took our school to Nationals two years in a row. Unfortunately COVID made 2020’s trip non-existent, but albeit virtual, they won in 2021. So AcDec really did have a tremendous impact on not only me but my family too.
Sara Zavorka
Special Education Teacher, IDEA Public Schools
From my sophomore year of high school, AcDec truly made me a much more well-rounded student and person. I also credit AcDec for my admission into my #1 choice university — I was deferred after applying EA and thought there was no hope. Then I placed third in the state in February of 2017 and, just like that, in March after I informed my admissions officer of my placement, I was admitted. I also think doing AcDec seriously was a great help adjusting to the rigorous curriculum at my university. I wasn’t intimidated by hefty course books and long essays. When I began interviewing for jobs, internships, and graduate school I felt much more at ease thanks to my experience with subjectives in AcDec.
Federica Ferrari
Policy Analyst · University of Chicago & LSE ’21