Career Exploration: Leanne Best Inspires Students at DECA Speaker Series

The DECA professional development committee hosted its third Speaker Series event, inviting strategic recruiter Leanne Best, who shared insights on work ethic, the importance of curiosity in today’s workforce, and finding the right job.

Sanvi Challa

Business Development and Strategic Recruiter Leanne Best encouraged students to expand their scope on career possibilities and find what they’re truly passionate about. “I think so often when you’re young, you only see eight to 10 jobs,” Best said. “You see your teachers, you see your doctors, you see the people at the grocery store, [but] you don’t think about careers necessarily. I never dreamed that there would be this many different kinds of jobs in the world or that I could help people find them.”

Rachel Bhardwaj and Sanvi Challa • March 1, 2026

On Feb. 20, various students gathered in the library at Rock Ridge High School for the third Speaker Series event. DECA members welcomed Business Development and Strategic Recruiter Leanne Best to speak to students about careers, curiosity, and finding the right professional path.

Bringing her expertise as a recruiter for a federal contractor, Best works to connect professionals with highly technical roles supporting federal projects – but at Rock Ridge, her message focused less on job titles and more on exploration.

She encouraged students to think beyond the few careers they see every day, reminding them that the professional world is much broader than it may appear in high school. Throughout her presentation, Best emphasized that while technical skills can be taught, qualities like curiosity, communication, and work ethic are what truly set professionals apart.

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This video incorrectly spells a student’s name as “Yash Sipmath.” The correct spelling is “Yash Sampath.”

About the Contributors

Rachel Bhardwaj, Multimedia Editor

Rachel Bhardwaj is a junior and a third-year staff member. She currently serves as the co-multimedia editor of The Blaze. She enjoys sketching, drawing, and exploring DIY projects. As co-multimedia editor, she is excited to capture broad reactions through her videos and hopes to create more in the future. She has also lived in India for most of her life. Rachel is passionate about helping people and raising voices that often go unheard. Her favorite thing about The Blaze is interacting with people, and she enjoys the welcoming environment.

Sanvi Challa, Editor-in-Chief

Sanvi Challa is a senior this year and in her second year with The Blaze. As editor-in-chief, she leads the staff to ensure everything runs smoothly and edits all articles to be publication-ready. In her first year on The Blaze, she won five Best of SNO awards and the grand prize for her Halo Vape Sensor feature article at the Loudoun Now Excellence in Journalism awards. One of her goals is to eventually publish a book to further her passion in writing. She also plans to pursue a healthcare-related field, with interests in neuroscience and psychology. Outside The Blaze, Sanvi is on the varsity tennis team for her fourth year, the debate team, the vice president of the Care4Kiddos club, and the creative director of the Student Council Association. Newspaper is her favorite class, and she is excited to write many more in-depth and investigative articles for The Blaze. She hopes to encourage everyone to get out of their comfort zones and cover the complicated and thrilling stories, and especially to love writing as much as she does.

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Career Exploration: Leanne Best Inspires Students at DECA Speaker Series

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