Over 50 DECA competitors were invited to the West Coast for the International Career Development Conference in April in Anaheim, Calif.
This conference challenges students across the nation to compete in events.
“ICDC was a unique experience because we got to meet people from all over the nation,” junior Karim Saoud said.
The conference was a success for many participants.
“Typically it’s difficult to compete on the West Coast because of the time change, but this year we had a lot of people get top 10 and a few even got top three,” senior Emily Garverick said.
Even those who did not place first still tried to keep an optimistic attitude.
“Sometimes coming in second or third feels like losing, but you have to remember all the work you put in and how it pays off in these unique, rewarding ways,” junior Bailey Jarriel said.
According to club members of DECA, both the students who won awards, as well as those who did not, excelled in their presentations.
“Every time a team came back from their preliminary presentation on Friday, they were beaming,” Jarriel said. “Most people aced their presentations [and] handled the questions well.”
The club members spent a lot of time preparing for the ICDC.
“Some of us took practice tests [and] studied from a website called Competition University,” Saoud said.
DECA learned a lot from this experience with such a large, international competition. Along with the hard work put into the ICDC, the club members also took advantage of some of the perks of being in California.
“We were all proud of our achievements in getting such a large group all the way to the international level,” Saoud said. “Outside of competition, [we spent time] at Disney, Santa Monica, and [the pool].”
Overall, DECA provides skills that will last a lifetime.
“DECA is a great way to prepare for the future, especially in a career in business,” Garverick said. “I feel confident going into almost any interview I set up.”