Katharine Ding is a Grade 12 student at Richview Collegiate Institute and is honoured to serve as a Sponsorship Coordinator on Team 48. From first learning what a performance indicator was as a Grade 9 competitor to representing Ontario at ICDC in Grade 11, DECA has been a defining part of her high school experience, shaping both her leadership and passion for business. As a Marketing cluster competitor, she has received Provincial recognition in every year of competition. Katharine stepped into her first chapter leadership role in Grade 10, training and mentoring Principles event competitors, and later served as the Vice President of Training in Grade 11, where she led all chapter training initiatives. Across these roles, the most rewarding part of her DECA experience was never the competition itself, but the opportunity to connect with, challenge, and uplift members in her chapter. 

Beyond DECA, whether she is integrating into a close-knit start-up team or founding a community service chapter, Katharine thrives in passionate, ambitious and collaborative environments. Outside of school, she interns with a consulting group in Toronto, where she has shaped key strategic and creative decisions in the development of the group’s entrepreneurial program for founders, Genesis. Recognizing a gap in her school’s community service engagement, Katharine founded a Key Club chapter and spearheaded several impactful initiatives to inspire meaningful change in the community and increase volunteerism. In her final year of high school, she will serve on the Eastern Canada District of Key Club as the Chair of the year-end district conference. Finally, Katharine is an avid debater who can often be found staying late after school preparing for tournaments, where she has finished competitions undefeated and earned recognition in her provincial league.

When not occupied by her commitments, you can find Katharine exploring downtown Toronto, maximizing the use of her digital camera, pulling a great shot of espresso, or rewatching one of her favourite movies.

Katharine is beyond excited to serve on Team 48 and give back to the vibrant community that has profoundly shaped her own journey. She looks forward to building lasting partnerships, connecting with members across the province, and strives for this year to be the highlight of your DECA journey. If you have any questions, ideas, or want to connect, feel free to reach out on Instagram (@katharineding), by email (katharine@deca.ca) or LinkedIn (@katharineding).