In the waning days of the 2022 legislative session, state Sen. Anna M. Kaplan invited local student rising star Sahar Juliet Tartak, a graduating senior at Great Neck North High School, to Albany to be recognized for her achievements by the state Senate.

Sahar was joined by her parents as the Senate passed resolution J.2548 “Congratulating Sahar Juliet Tartak upon the occasion of capturing first place in the International DECA Competition,” which was authored and introduced by Kaplan.

Following remarks on the resolution by Kaplan, Sahar was given a standing ovation by members of the Senate and extended all the privileges and courtesies of the chamber by the Temporary President.

Kaplan said “Sahar isn’t just a rockstar academic and her class Valedictorian, she’s also an internationally recognized emerging leader, having taken first place in an international competition that began with thousands of entrants who qualified from across the world. I couldn’t be more proud of Sahar, and that’s why I invited her and her family to Albany to be formally recognized by the Senate for her incredible achievements.”

Each year, DECA, an international student leadership organization with 173,000 members across 3,200 schools, holds a series of competitions at the state, regional, and international levels, with only about 200 qualifiers reaching the international level from a pool of thousands.

This year, Sahar participated in the “Human Resources Management” competition, where competitors are given a briefing on a difficult human resources situation and are given 10 minutes to prepare a solution, then present it to a panel of judges. Out of those who entered, she won at the state level, then the regional level, and ultimately took first place out of the international competitors.

The resolution honoring Sahar passed the Senate with unanimous support. Read the full resolution at: https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/resolutions/2021/j2548