“Where’s so and so at?” “Oh, DECA’s on another field trip.” But what is DECA and why is everybody always gone for it?
According to deca.org, DECA, which stand for Distributed Education Clubs of America, has a mission is to prepare emerging leaders and entrepreneurs for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management in high schools and colleges around the globe. Basically, this class helps you prepare for these careers later in life.
This year, we had 164 Harrison DECA State Qualifiers. Of these people, 14 members qualified for next level, and were off to ICDC (International Career Development Conference) in Anaheim, California. At ICDC, junior Kayla Morris and sophomore Avery Dennis became International Finalists in the Integrated Marketing Campaign Event.
DECA has impacted many students throughout the years, and all have very positive experiences to tell. Students are truly passionate about this program, and it shows in their hard work and dedication.
“From memorable trips to really cool places with my best friends to gaining lots of real world applicable knowledge, DECA has provided me with a lot of great things.”
Senior Bella Porter says that her experience with DECA has been very positive. She says that, “From memorable trips to really cool places with my best friends to gaining lots of real-world applicable knowledge, DECA has provided me with a lot of great things.” She fondly talks about State as well, saying it “will always be my favorite as I love running around the hotel and convention center with my friends.”
Senior Logan Dreyer says the Orlando trip (last year’s ICDC) was the “best possible trip” he could have gone on, stating that, “even though we didn’t win at nationals, the experience and vibes were immaculate.” He also fondly recalls the NYC trip that DECA student took earlier this year, saying that his favorite part was seeing Aladdin, tourist shopping, and touching the bull. The New York Trip was a national DECA event where students were able to learn from business professionals while experiencing the big city. He also says he won an award at State for the first-time last year, which was a cool experience.
“My experience in DECA has been absolutely unparalleled. I took it simply because my friends were, but I had no idea it would change the course of my life. The people I’ve connected with and the things I’ve gotten to experience have truly changed my life for the better in so many different ways.”
