DECA: A Lifetime of Opportunities

Aayush Iyengar

Lake Geneva. Wisconsin Dells. Minneapolis. Anaheim. Atlanta. Orlando.

You might be wondering, what do all these locations all across the country have in common? By competing in DECA, you have the opportunity to visit each and every one of these locations, meet countless new individuals and expand your educational horizons, while having the time of your life in the process.

Hopefully, throughout your time at Hamilton, you have at least heard about the DECA organization. In short, DECA is a global organization that prepares students for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality and management while also giving them the skills to become academically prepared, community oriented and professionally responsible leaders. Participating in DECA offers members a myriad of opportunities, from volunteering to help your community to attending leadership conferences all over the state, but for me, the most enjoyable and rewarding experience was without a doubt, participating in the competitive aspect of the organization.

Now do not confuse DECA competition as an elaborate, difficult situation where you are tasked with giving a speech to a large group of people. In fact, it is quite the opposite. There are two major parts to a DECA competitive event: an exam, and what is known as a role-play. The exam is nothing to be nervous about; it consists of 100 multiple choice questions on a broad category similar to the event you are in. The best part? From test prep Tuesdays to a multitude of practice tests available to all competitors, there are countless ways to practice when it is convenient for you. The other aspect of your competitive event is known as a role-play. The best comparison for this type of presentation would be a mock interview. Essentially, you are given a sample situation, with various information on your position, the position of the person you will be meeting with (judge) and talking points called performance indicators, which help you to guide your presentation. Then, putting this information with your creativity, you deliver a short presentation with the judge on your ideas on the presented topic. The beauty of these competitive events? You only need to present to one judge, and there is no right or wrong answer, allowing you to be as creative as possible.

With over 19 individual events and 8 team events, from Personal Financial Literacy to Sports and Entertainment Marketing, there are countless routes for you to take in terms of competition, based on your interests. In addition, there is one other form of competition, separate from the typical test and roleplay format, called a Written project. A written project, spanning over 20 different categories, typically consists of more work behind the scenes through either research or planning and designing a plan to bring a product/innovation to life. Just this past year, four individuals from Hamilton competed at the International competition in Atlanta for their written projects. Two of them, called Fresh Eats and Chicken Legs, went through the design process of creating a product (much like a Shark Tank pitch), establishing the value each product possesses, as well as where and how the product would be sold. The other, was a Community Giving Project, which detailed a community service project put together by Hamilton in the past year and how beneficial it was. Once again, the scope of each of these written projects is extremely open-ended, allowing you to turn an idea that had usually been sitting in the back of your mind into a tangible product with the potential to be created and sold one day.

In my opinion, the benefits of competing as a part of Hamilton DECA cannot be understated. The roleplay aspect of DECA competition is the best possible way to improve your organizational skills, creativity on the spot, and professional interaction skills, setting you up for success further down the road in your career, whether it be through interviews or leading meetings. In addition, attending the career development conferences above allows you an insight into the infinite possibilities of the business field and can definitely influence your decision in a potential job path. Best of all, the relationships you have the opportunity to build on these trips, from discovering some of your closest friends as other competing members from Hamilton to meeting innumerable other similarly-minded individuals from all over the country, make competing a win-win experience, and one of the most rewarding opportunities Hamilton has to offer.

So next fall, if you find yourself with a little extra time on your hands and are up for a rewarding, innovative challenge, stop by room 53 and talk to Mrs. Fields about what category might be the right fit for you. I guarantee the minute you take a step in the competition direction and realize the benefits, you will never look back and regret the decision.