At Reedy High School, there are a multitude of extracurriculars that students can be involved in, one of them being Academic Decathlon. Academic Decathlon, or ACDEC for short, is an academic based team that gets together for various competitions and completes tests based on various subjects. Just this past weekend the ACDEC team went to a regional competition and was able to advance to the state level competition.

Although many may think that they need to have an exceptional GPA to join ACDEC, this is not the case at all; students of any GPA can join. The students in ACDEC who have lower GPAs are part of the “varsity” category, and are just as essential to the team as everyone else.

“I feel like your grades shouldn’t define if you’re smart or not, because the varsities that we have are very academically driven,” sophomore Yashita Sharma said. “They allow us to have a much better team.”

Although there can be a lot of work involved in ACDEC, the team aspect creates a more enjoyable environment that helps motivate the students.

“You’re encouraged to work together, share knowledge, and challenge each other, which fosters a sense of camaraderie,” senior Brandon You said.

Within both the world of ACDEC and life in general it can be easy to lose sight of your own personal growth over time. ACDEC teacher Matthew Fontana understands the true value in seeing how his students have improved not just academically, but in life.

“What’s more impressive to me is how they show their growth in other ways than just what their test scores show me,” Fontana said.

Being involved in extracurriculars can be beneficial in many ways, and this continues to be true with ACDEC.

“Since joining ACDEC, I’ve learned to come out of my shell a little more,” junior Savannah Levya-Christie said.

There are many factors that contribute to the ACDEC community, including the fact that students are able to express themselves no matter what.

“The people are so great and they never make me feel like I don’t belong,” sophomore Esha Dashora said. “There is a place for everyone in ACDEC.”