FRISCO, TEXAS — Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) is a competitive organization designed to immerse and introduce students to the business world. This organization has members in all 50 U.S. states, Australia, Canada, China, Germany, India, Mexico, Poland, Puerto Rico, Spain, and Vietnam.
DECA prepares high school students on the many skills they will need to enter the job market, such as communicating effectively, working in a team, and dressing professionally. The organization also gives students opportunities to get involved in their community.
On Jan. 13th, many students from Centennial High School (CHS) competed in the district competition at the Irving Convention Center. The event was an amazing start to the competition season. 90 CHS students competed and 62 of them advanced to state!
Insiya Juzer and Jamie Lee attended the competition. Their event is the Integrated Marketing Campaign Product (IMCP), where they have 15 minutes to present and summarize their document. Lee shares, “For this event you have to create a ten-page written document where you choose a product that exists already and make a marketing campaign for it.”
These students have been working diligently for several months on their event. There are two events that students can choose from: Individual Series Events and Team Decision-Making Events. The members can either work alone or in a group of up to three people.
The president of DECA at Centennial, Charvita Malepati, had to go through a rigorous application process in which she had to exemplify her leadership skills and vision for the district.
“I participated in an interview where I demonstrated my ability to lead and represent our members. Beyond that, I worked hard to network, attending conferences and engaging with members on social media to build connections and broaden my reach,” Malepati shares.
While becoming the president of this organization and joining to compete is an arduous process, it can also have long-lasting benefits.
“Being part of DECA has brought me amazing friendships and lifelong connections with like-minded individuals,” Charvita shares, “I’ve also had access to incredible opportunities, from leadership development to making a positive impact in my community. It’s been an invaluable experience that has shaped both my personal and professional growth.”
In the next couple of weeks, the students will be competing at the state competition. The past month has been spent preparing and working to improve their scores from the first competition. Good job and good luck to all the Titans advancing to DECA State!
