Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) is a non-profit student organization that prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs into the business industry. It offers knowledge about careers in marketing, finance, hospitality and management.
This student organization offers students to compete in a variety of competitive events including role-plays, prepared events and virtual business challenges. These competitions allow students to express themselves through leadership, innovation and professional communication and learn twenty-first century skills such as; project implementation, critical thinking as well as expression of creativity.
This year is the organization’s first ever chapter at this high school. It was tricky for advisor Rebecca Hunter and the student officers to get the organization up on its feet. Even so, together they managed to create a small, yet successful and hard-working chapter.
When senior Caitlyn Combs learned of the newly commenced organization, she became interested. After a few weeks of joining it became time for members to run for officer positions. She quickly applied to become the chapter’s president and was elected president in the following meeting.
“To be honest I joined DECA for more extracurricular activities in my college portfolio,” Combs said. “However, after a few meetings I realized the networking opportunities available to me and I am glad I took advantage of that.”
DECA is an excellent opportunity for students interested in expanding their knowledge in business.
“It prepares students for real life business situations and scenarios that they might use in their future careers,” Combs said. “I would recommend joining for the chance to meet new people and to compete for the chance to be surrounded by those who share similar interests at conferences.”
The 2024 District 5 Career Development Conference, where the competitive events are held, was hosted at Kalahari Resorts in Round Rock, TX. DECA conferences leave room for opportunity for members of different chapters to communicate and connect with each other.
“District 5 CDC at Round Rock was an amazing experience. I wasn’t expecting there to be as many kids as there were. I learned that it’s really helpful to study and practice beforehand with friends and reading the recommended talking points included in the prompt,” member Maggie Rendon said. “We were pushed out of our comfort zones by being surrounded by numerous students and going into the competition itself. Going to a resort for our competition was also a fun plus.”
Competition for these students had some learning moments before and after the competition. Members got to learn and get a feel of their first DECA conference.
“I felt nervous before the competition, and relieved after but honestly it was an entertaining and beneficial experience overall,” member Yasir Al-Agele said. “I look forward to competing next year, or even running for an officer position.”
Students constantly practiced and researched many times prior to their competition events. Hence DECA treasurer, Dalton Hancock, advancing into state in the event Principles of Marketing.
“I felt nervous, I wasn’t exactly sure If what I was studying was the right material. The people at my prep table wrote back and front on their prompt sheets and I wasn’t sure if I had written enough in the time given,” Hancock said. “When it was time for the role-play aspect of the competition I was figuring out how to segway without making my speech sound like a mess. I felt very unprepared compared to the other students who have competed in the past. By the end of the conference when they were announcing the results, I saw my name being projected onto a large screen. I jumped up in the air out of shock and excitement. I almost felt disbelief. Once I received my medal and took a picture with Mrs. Hunter, it all finally felt worth joining and starting a new local chapter with no previous knowledge of how to run a school organization.”
DECA is an important and notable student organization that benefits business leaders that will help pave the way for an advanced future in the business pathway.
“DECA is significant because it helps students become successful in all stages of their lives. This organization opens doors for students and creates future leaders,” Hunter said. “I am proud of my students and how hard they have worked to get to where they are now.”