DECA is an international organization that is made up of a large network of students, educators, and business professionals. We have a chapter here at Bedford High School where students can gain 21st-century skills such as problem-solving, communication, and critical thinking through workshops and competition experience. According to DECA Inc, “DECA prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality and management in high schools and colleges around the globe”.
Each year, DECA holds a state-level competition in February, where club members compete in a variety of events and business sectors. For most students, competition is composed of a roleplay and a test. The roleplay is presented in the form of a real-life scenario where students are required to think on their feet and present a solution in front of a judge. The test consists of 100 questions that is designed to assess content knowledge in a specific field related to your personal competitive event. Those who place top three in their category at the State Conference qualify for the international competition (ICDC). ICDC runs in a rotation of popular locations all over the United States, including Atlanta, Georgia; Orlando, Florida; Anaheim, California. Historically, Bedford High School has a respectable reputation at the State Conference and the majority of members qualify for ICDC.
Let’s hear from other students!
Sophie Elliott, a senior at BHS and the President of DECA, speaks on the community of the organization: “I have loved being a part of the BHS DECA community for four years because of the unique balance of real-world learning opportunities and lighthearted fun. DECA is a community where anyone can gain opportunities, friendships, and confidence.”
Alisha Juneja, a senior at BHS and the DECA VP of Career Development, explains her personal values, and reflects on how they tie to the club: “DECA has given me valuable communication and presentation skills that will greatly help me in future professional environments”.
Tracy Xie, a junior at BHS and second-year DECA member, speaks on why she first joined DECA: “I took intro to business in my freshman year and gained an interest in the business field, so I joined DECA to broaden my knowledge for fun as well as nurture my interest to see if it can become a career option in the future.”
If you are interested in becoming a DECA member, meetings are held every Friday at 7:15 am in room 113/115. The first meeting is this Friday, September 24!
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact 9959700@bedfordnhk12.net
[…] Last week on February 9th and 10th, students in BHS DECA attended the annual Career Development Conference (CDC), also commonly known as States. For those who aren’t familiar with DECA, it is essentially a business club that builds leadership skills through competition-based learning. For more information about what students do in DECA, feel free to check out this article. […]