The future is sometimes imposing, but our DECA students are preparing for their futures with enthusiasm. GHHS’s DECA club is a program focused on preparing emerging leaders and entrepreneurs in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management. Our school proudly boasts a flourishing team of DECA students who have a stunning reputation of almost 100% having qualified for National DECA competitions over the years. In February they displayed their standard of excellence and professionalism at this year’s State Career Development Conference. State is a highly anticipated event that engages students in competitions and workshops, as well as presenting networking opportunities for club members to engage with industry professionals. DECA students build their skills over the course of the school year, beginning by engaging in a foundational education of leadership training—leadership development, leadership conferences, and career development conferences—and later shifting to competitions. Students compete in a number of different categories, including marketing, business management and administration, hospitality and tourism, and finances (under which different career pathways are organized).
The majority of DECA “series events” involve competitors being given a business scenario with a problem you may encounter in the workplace, for example, customer relationships, that they are then tasked to solve and deliver a solution to the judges. Competitors are given half an hour to prepare for the case study and 15 minutes to present. Peers have the option of either competing individually or with a teammate, and if flying solo, they have 10 minutes to prepare, while duos have double the time. Judges are looking for the quality of the response, how well students solve the problems, and if in teams, their ability to work together.
The dedicated team of Jack Learned (11) and Bruin Bear (11), president and vice president of the club, are a perfect example of DECA students’ commitment to excellence and teamwork. “Jack and Bruin have worked together for three years… so now they know each other, and they know how each other works,” stated teacher and club administrator Mr. Davis, who has had the pleasure of seeing the boys develop success over the years. “Me and Bruin have grown as a team by us being much more communicative and able to share ideas better… We work well together by being able to share ideas with each other and constructively criticize them in order to have the best possible outcome,” said Learned.
Learned and Bear participated in the event Business Law and Ethics, a two-person event in which contestants are presented with case studies involving ethical dilemmas and scenarios regarding business law. Mr. Davis states that team events typically mean being presented with more difficult questions to challenge the two minds, as you could make the argument that a duo has a collaborative advantage. This year’s State was close to being cancelled due to district complications, causing Learned and Bear to focus primarily on their roles as club leaders rather than on their performances as things got back on track. Despite the added stress, the two Tides managed to deliver a performance that placed them at 7th in the state, making them the only DECA members to qualify for nationals. “My favorite thing about DECA is being able to be with my friends and the DECA community. Working with a partner has contributed to this as it has made competitions and club management a lot more fun,” said Bear. Learned states that the two will prepare for nationals by focusing on improving their presentation skills and taking timed practice tests.
DECA peer Anna Isenburg (10) participated in retail merchandising. “One of the problems I was asked to solve was how a business should run or plan their opening event for a convenience store near a college,” said Isenburg. She expresses the benefits of DECA, believing that the club is a good form of preparation for anyone’s future in the professional world. An ambitious student, Isenburg plans on going into business farther down the line in her education, an education that starts here at GHHS to set her up for success. “My favorite thing about State was going to dinner with some of the other participants from our school,” Isenburg expressed. Amongst all their work, the DECA team shares levity and fun, as Learned describes his favorite part of the experience as having been walking through Bellevue Square.
No matter the line of work, DECA is a club that prepares anyone for any field with a wealth of interpersonal and critical thinking skills. DECA nationals are held at the end of April in Orlando, Florida, during the week following spring break. The event will consist of testing, competition, and workshops to better students’ understanding of law, ethics, and business in general, as well as condition their social and problem-solving skills, skills that will follow our talented club members into the adult world. In a sea of 23,000 students from across the country and beyond, our Tides undoubtedly stand out.