DECA members participated in the 2024 DECA International Career Development Conference (ICDC) Apr. 27 through 30. At the competition, which was held at the Anaheim Convention Center, students engaged in various competitive events, presentations, roleplays, and unique challenges related to the business world.
“Lily Ricci, and Sophie Harvard did ‘role-plays,’ and then Gursahil Singh and Savir Raj Mohil were in a manual event together,” said marketing teacher and DECA co-sponsor Jaqueline Herrmann.
Role-play events occur at all DECA competitions. Participants are given a hypothetical business scenario with specific objectives and within a limited timeframe, usually 10-30 minutes. They must prepare a solution or presentation based on the given scenario. Manual events involve a written business plan followed by a rehearsed presentation.
In addition to the competition, ICDC attendees enjoyed trips to California’s Disneyland parks along with their sponsors. Herrmann and sports marketing teacher and DECA co-sponsor Sarah Voyack had “a blast” exploring Anaheim’s beaches and theme park attractions with their students. They were happy to see them make the most of the opportunity to meet and network with competitors from all fifty states and foreign countries such as Canada, Germany, and China.
This opportunity is open to all Wildcats who have met DECA’s official prerequisites and are qualified to represent the school on an international level. Herrmann suggests that all interested students should contact her classroom (238) to discuss 2024-25 membership.
“At the beginning of the year, I teach [my students] what DECA is about, and then we have a meeting and talk to them about what to expect,” said Herrmann.
Students interested in DECA should consider enrolling in a marketing class (Marketing I and II, Fashion Marketing I and II, or Sports Marketing I and II), which is required for membership.
