Business-minded students, rejoice! DECA, the Distributive Education Club of America, is here. It is a business-oriented training and competition club designed to educate and prepare interested students for the rigors of a white-collar job. DECA students will learn professionalism and problem solving in a business environment as they compete to win fabulous prizes.

According to senior Clarissa Lewis, the main way to participate in DECA competitions is an event in which students are given a hypothetical scenario by a volunteer. The students are then required to describe or enact a solution to said problem, and are judged based on the quality of their solution. Such volunteers are often businesspeople or important figures, and this can be a good chance to receive business cards from these people, creating important contacts which can help students in future career opportunities.

There are other ways to compete, as well, such as by creating a mock marketing plan or a fictitious business plan, then pitching ideas to a panel of experts. Students who perform well in these activities can progress from the regional competition in Seattle to the state competition, then from the state competition to the NCDC (National Competition, District of Columbia) in Washington, D.C. Students who achieve on the national level are almost guaranteed to be offered full-ride scholarships at prestigious universities.

“DECA can help you become more confident, and it can help you find more friends,” noted Lewis. Kerri Ferate, business teacher and DECA coordinator, expanded on this, saying, “Join DECA!  It’s a great marketing activity to be involved in! You’ll meet some amazing people!!”

Any business-minded students who are interested in joining the club can join up simply by attending one of the biweekly meetings, every other Tuesday at 7:25 AM in Room 120. Twenty years down the road, you will not regret it.