Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) has once again proven its strength, with 32 students qualifying for the International Career Development Conference (ICDC) after a competitive showing at the California State Career Development Conference (States).
Months of preparation, dedication, and teamwork have led these students to this moment, where they will now compete on a national stage in Orlando, Florida.
“DECA has shown me that I’m a lot better at marketing than I thought I was. It has allowed me to get more involved with the business and marketing pathway at school and helps me develop my passion for the subject,” said DECA member Reina Subramanian.
DECA is an international business organization that prepares high school and college students for business careers in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management. DECA members receive exposure to competition and networking, allowing them real-world business and leadership experiences.
With a mix of roleplay activities, written assignments, and business simulations, DECA allows participants to demonstrate their ability to analyze problems, think critically, and present confidently.
At Carlmont, students interested in joining DECA must have taken Introduction to Business before joining the club or take it simultaneously. This way, students participating in the competitions have some basic knowledge of business that can help them succeed.
“DECA has so many different events. There is something for everyone, which is part of what makes it great,” said DECA member Milo Knight.
As a first-year DECA member, Knight found that the Virtual Business Challenge (VBC) was a perfect match. In this event, students run a simulated business, making key financial and operational decisions to maximize profit.
“I liked it because you can run a virtual store and make business decisions. It felt like a video game, and I did well,” Knight said.
Knight’s team placed second at States, qualifying them for Nationals. Now, they are focused on improving their strategy for ICDC, where they will have 15 minutes per round to make business decisions in the simulation.
“To prepare, we’re testing new strategies and reaching out to past qualifiers for advice on what we can improve on,” Knight said.
Beyond the competition itself, Knight is looking forward to the experience.
“I’m excited to meet other DECA members from around the country,” Knight said.
Beyond VBC, Subramanian and her partner, Molly Hoffman, competed in the Marketing Team Decision-Making event, where they had 30 minutes to analyze a business scenario before presenting a marketing solution to a judge.
“The judge acts as the CEO, and we have to give our recommendations in just 15 minutes while answering key business questions. It’s a high-pressure situation, but it tests your ability to think on your feet,” Subramanian said.
Despite not expecting to place in the roleplay, Reina and Molly secured fifth place at States, earning them a spot at ICDC. Now, they are shifting gears and preparing more seriously for Nationals.
“In preparation for ICDC, we’re going to practice case studies and study for the marketing exam to improve our performance,” Subramanian said.
Another option for DECA members is to participate in the written event.
Chloe Zhao competed in a written project that required a 20-page report and a professional presentation about an environmental initiative they developed.
“I joined freshman year because my friends were doing it, but after competing, I realized how much I enjoy DECA. I think it’s really fun,” Zhao said.
Her team placed fourth at States, qualifying them for ICDC.
“We memorized our script and practiced more than 100 times. We also created brochures and visuals to hand out to the judges, which helped set us apart,” Zhao said.
Chloe and her team are expanding their project and making their presentation even stronger for Nationals.
“We want to add more to our initiative so it has a bigger impact. I’m also excited to compete, meet new people, and experience DECA Night at Universal Studios in Orlando,” Zhao said.
Carlmont’s DECA chapter has grown exponentially since it was founded in the 2017-2018 school year.
“The first year, we had 12 students competing, and we weren’t sure what we were doing. Now, we have over 100 members, with 90 students competing at States and 32 advancing to ICDC,” said DECA advisor John Rowe.
Rowe credits the program’s success to students’ strong sense of community.
“I don’t have the time to help every student personally, but what makes Carlmont’s DECA chapter special is how students help each other. They practice together, critique each other’s work, and build each other up to become better competitors,” Rowe said.
Carlmont’s student leadership team runs workshops on business concepts, presentation skills, and competition strategies each week.
“It’s a cool experience, and I’m excited to compete at ICDC,” Subramanian said.
