CVHS DECA takes on the world
An overheated bus, caused students to be stranded in the middle of the highway with no way to get to their first exams of the competition: unfortunate luck plagued the CVHS DECA club as they headed down toward Anaheim to participate in the annual California DECA State Career Development Conference (SCDC). Despite the unfavorable circumstances, the CVHS chapter defeated their odds to earn a spot to compete in the International Career Development Conference (ICDC).
“The DECA International Career Development Conference (ICDC) is the final competition of the year where 14,000 student finalists from all 52 states [50 states and two territories] demonstrate their knowledge and skills in various career clusters such as marketing, finance, hospitality, management and entrepreneurship,” described Byron Thompson, the marketing and business economics teacher, as well as the club advisor for the CVHS DECA chapter.
To qualify for a position to compete in ICDC, students must place in the top flights of their event at the state level. With over 2,000 students participating, and an average of about 50 students in an event, it is no easy task.
Nevertheless, this year, eight CVHS students earned spots to compete in the highly competitive conference taking place in Orlando, Florida, from April 21 to 26: Kerry Chen (Restaurant and Food Service Management), Natalli Mishreky (Business Operations Research), Gia Mitra, Jesse Wu, and Katie Yin (Project Management Sales Project), Cynthia Pan (Business Services Marketing), Hannah Thai (Human Resources Management), and Vivian Yang (Automotive Services Marketing).
Throughout the past school year, DECA students have been preparing for the conferences through workshops, after-school study halls, and independent study, as well as taking part in mini-cons, which are small-sized mock competitions.
“Students spend their time learning proper business terminology, taking practice exams and sharpening their critical thinking skills for use in their role plays,” stated Thompson.
To prepare for ICDC, students will continue with their studying process. For Mishreky, whose event (BOR) requires her to construct and present a detailed written business plan for a local business, she plans to practice her presentation in front of others to gain constructive feedback. She finds the input of others to be the most beneficial to her as she hopes to clinch Top 10 in her event in Orlando.
Preparing for conferences requires a lot of time commitment from participants, therefore, it is essential for students to be flexible and find ways to balance their workload.
“It’s been difficult to balance my schoolwork with DECA at times, especially when I’m gone for conferences, but even a little bit of communication with my teachers has gone a long way,” stated Pan. “I always make sure to let my teachers know in advance when I’ll be gone and pick up any work that I can.”
However, the club is not simply just about studying for competitions, as members are given opportunities to network and have fun as well. At their latest conference in Anaheim, students were given the day to visit Disneyland and spend time with friends. One of the most favored aspects of the conferences is that students are able to meet and connect with other school chapters as well.
“Ever since I joined DECA and began competing at conferences, I’ve met so many people from across California who have become some of my closest friends,” said Pan.
But the fun is not only limited to conferences, as the CVHS DECA chapter hosts an abundance of club activities for members who choose not to attend the competitions. Previous events have included: Pumpkin Painting, an Egg Hunt, and a back-to-school bonding event filled with pizza and games.
With ICDC rolling around the corner, the club remains optimistic about the upcoming conference.
“Personally, I’m most looking forward to the students having the opportunity to compete at the national level. As a second-year teacher, I think it’s a testament to not only the marketing and business courses at CVHS but also the commitment and dedication to DECA that the members exemplify on a daily basis. We are one of only a few NorCal chapters that have this opportunity,” remarked Thompson.
While Pan will miss out on the final competition because it conflicts with prom, she sends warm regards to all those attending ICDC, “I’m wishing the best of luck to those competing this year, especially from our chapter.”
There is much to look forward to for CVHS DECA as they travel to Orlando to represent both CVHS and NorCal come late April.
While CVHS students will only make up a small margin of the participants at ICDC, in no doubt, will their spirit go unheard as they carry their club chant along the ride:
“Who’s your daddy?”
“CASTRO VALLEY!”