DECA states is fast approaching, and the club is preparing for their conference in Greensboro. The yearly conference allows for students to come together and compete against each other with their business skills.

The conference March 10, will allow for different aspects of business to be evaluated, including projects, individual role plays, tests and scholarship interviews.

DECA has continued to meet and practice in preparation for the conference. Kristi Walker, the club advisor makes sure her students are well prepared, according to the president Connor Cochrane.

“To prepare for states Ms. Walker has a lot of practice tests, and you can practice role plays with her and the veterans,” Cochrane said.

Cochrane has been in DECA for three years and is co-president this year with Abby Alvarez. It takes team work to run such a large club according to Cochrane.

“It’s exciting to lead such a great club with one of my good friend. Abby is very skilled at planning and good at setting up a lot of our projects, while I mainly run the meetings and I do a lot of tutoring,” Cochrane said.

To be able to go to the state competition, students must qualify at districts. Instead of one day, like districts, states is three days long.

Groups of students enter competition together. This year sophomore Nate Allain and junior Nicole Simunyu are teaming up to do a project at states. Their project focuses on teen hunger.

“It’s a public relations project, but the subject is hunger amongst teens, and we worked with backpack buddies,” Allain said.

Allain and Simunyu used the amount of people within the club to help bring in canned food items for their project. According to Allain, a lot goes into these group projects.

“Normally you have a class dedicated to your writing your project. Then you brainstorm what you want to do your project on. Then you carry out your project when you write a paper on it, and then you make a PowerPoint and a poster and everything, and at state competition and you present it for the judges,” Allain said.

According to Walker, at states students compete against schools from all four regions of the state.

“It’s more of a business trip. There’s more to do: workshop, activities, more professional,” Walker said.

According to Cochrane the anticipation of a role play can be exciting, but also nerve racking.

“When you are doing a role play, you have a certain amount of time to prepare for your category. Then you talk to you judge about your prompt and you try to sell yourself,” Cochrane said.

Walker and her students both have high goals for the upcoming competition.

“I want to qualify for nationals, so like top five in my event,” Allain said.

This year Walker hopes to have a successful finish for her students.

Walker hopes, “For all chapter projects to place in top ten, and for everyone to improve from districts. It would awesome if the individuals get medalist and are finalists.”

Editor’s note: We’ve updated the story to include the results from state competition. 

Congratulations to the following DECA students for their accomplishments at the NC Career Development Conference which ran March 10-12:

Sam Deskus – top test score Apparel & Accessories Marketing

Julia Stiner – top test score Sports & Entertainment Marketing

Michael Civis – top test score Sports & Entertainment Marketing Team Decision Making

Nate Allain – top test score and 9th place overall in Business Services Marketing

Madison King, Emily Babb and Meghan Wuesthoff – top test scores in Travel & Tourism Team Decision Making

Michael Civis & Kyle Brewer – 11th place in Sports & Entertainment Promotional Plan

Marcela Harrell – 9th place Fashion Merchandising Promotional Plan

Hyuk Woo, Abby Alvarez, and Austin Panameno – 10th place Community Service Project

Chloe McFadden & Janell Gill – 6th place Entrepreneurship Promotional Project

Johnny Vo & Lex Goodwin – 8th place Creative Marketing Project

Emily Babb, Meghan Wuesthoff, and Jake Petrillo – 5th place Learn & Earn Project