DECA helps WHS students get early start on business careers
Apr 14, 2008, 09:14
By Michelle Wood
WARRENSBURG, MO.--Many high school students do more to prepare for their futures than some may think.
Members of the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) and Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) prepare throughout the year for various competitions at the district, state, national and international levels.
At Warrensburg High School , Cheryl Yung, DECA advisor, and Kay Phillips, FBLA advisor, not only help students prepare for competitions, but for their futures, as well.
This is the first of two articles about these organizations. This one will concentrate on DECA:
DECA is an organization for students to gain experience in marketing, management and entrepreneurship in business, finance, hospitality and marketing sales and service and leadership.
DECA exists at the high school and the collegiate levels. There are more than 4,500 high school chapters across the U.S., Puerto Rico, Guam and territories, Mexico, Germany and Canada, with more than 180,000 members, who are mainly juniors and seniors.
Yung said there are 12 schools that participate in the same district as Warrensburg, District 4.
“At state, we have 12 districts represented from all over the state of Missouri, around 1,400 students,” Yung said. “Internationals include the United States, Puerto Rico, Guam, Canada and Germany, around 14,000 students.”
This year was the 60th year for the competitions. Districts took place in February at Independence Center in Independence, Mo., and the state competition was in March at the Lodge of Four Seasons at the Lake of the Ozarks, Mo. The international competition, known as the International Career Development Conference (ICDC) will be in Atlanta April 25 through 30. Yung said her students have been very successful at all three levels of competition.
“This year, we have 10 international qualifiers who will be competing in Atlanta,” Yung said.
At WHS, about 30 students participate in DECA and about 80 percent of those students participate in competition, Yung said. However, students must be enrolled in an accounting or marketing class to be a member of DECA.
The competitions include individual events, management team decision-making events, marketing research events and business management and entrepreneurship, among others. Each area involves different tasks, including multiple-choice tests, role-playing events, case studies and preparing written documents and oral presentations.
“They prepare all school year for competition, always practicing to improve at each level of competition,” Yung said. “I give them a study packet to help them prepare; it includes a sample test and role play. Then we practice in class or after school.”
WHS senior Curtis Hartley is a member of DECA and FBLA, and will participate at the international competition in Atlanta.
“For DECA, the test is broken down into two parts, the multiple-choice test and a role play,” Hartley said. “During the role play, students are given a case to read over and time to take notes. They will then go talk to a judge about the case as if they were actually ‘living’ the case. They will have about 10 minutes to present their ideas and answer the judge’s questions.”
Hartley said the students study a few weeks prior to the competition to prepare for the tests. However, Hartley added that the competitions are not all work.
“In addition to the tests and award ceremony, there are state meetings, guest speakers, voting sessions for voting delegates and a dance,” Hartley said.
“The state meetings are a chance for all the students from the state to meet each other. National officers are elected during the voting session. There is plenty of free time to see the city during nationals and internationals.”
Yung said DECA helps prepare students for careers in marketing or management. Hartley said his experience in DECA will help him in the future because the events made him think in a logical manner.
“DECA is especially helpful; it teaches you to think on your feet and how to present yourself professionally to people that you have never met,” Hartley said.
