Message From the President

By Emily Zhang, State President

This November, your state officers had the incredible opportunity to host the Western Region Leadership Conference in Anaheim, where members learned to tell their story and hone their leadership skills in everyday life. With multiple mock conferences and chapter visits lined up for the coming month, Team 68 is excited to help you all perform your best for Districts!

Kindness Brigade

By Shani Taylor, Valencia DECA

Even as a small chapter, we still try to do big things. It’s the little things that count, and we can never underestimate the power of encouragement. What we tried to do in the Valencia High School DECA chapter was to spread love where it was needed. When California was experiencing its worst fires yet, we knew that even the smallest acts of kindness could make a big impact. There were already different groups donating and volunteering their resources and time, so we thought that if all of California DECA could come together and provide encouragement, that we could really create a kindness brigade. Even though the fires are contained, we can still thank the firemen for their service! Thank you Carlmont High School DECA for taking the lead!

DECA Garage

Irvington DECA

At WRLC 2018 in Anaheim, CA this past weekend, 4 Irvington High School DECA officers, Kaitlyn Phan, Mariam Mustafa, Raisah Khan, and Joyce Luo, participated in DECA Garage and brought home the first place prize of $1,000 for their product, Rise. DECA Garage is an entrepreneurial competition for all DECA WRLC members to participate in and can be described as a crossover of Shark Tank and Kickstarter. DECA Garage is led by a former Shark Tank winner, Jason Lucash.

The first place team’s idea was comprised of a compressible and expandable high heel, catering to working women. After five hours of product preparation and four hours of pitching, Team Rise finished in the top 3 participants and was then able to present their pitch at the closing session to WRLC to all delegates and Shark Tank judges. The product, Rise, received the most text-message votes at the conclusion of all pitch presentations and won the judges’ vote for the best pitch. Irvington DECA successfully brought home

DECA Rise

Irvington DECA

DECA Rise is a new program offered by Irvington DECA to help middle-schoolers explore their interests and discover their passions for business. Over the course of eight weeks, members prepare themselves in public speaking, learn business topics, participate in engaging activities, and close off with a competition.
Our officers sincerely believe that getting started early is the best way to prepare for the future – for this reason, we are offering this program to help middle-school students exclusively get a head start on their DECA and professional careers. Students are taught by a team of business-oriented chapter officers with experience in various aspects of business, including: Business Management and Administration, Marketing, Finance, Entrepreneurship, and Hospitality/Tourism. Specific topics covered within the Rise program include economics, marketing, and finance in business contexts, alongside a roleplay and testing guide session. At the conclusion of the program, Rise students have the opportunity to participate in a mini conference, which allows Rise students to implement everything they have learned into a real-world business scenario roleplay!

Humans of WESTERN REGION DECA!

Irene Kim, Vice President of Marketing, Nevada DECA

My favorite part of WRLC was being able to foster so many great relationships! I’ve been able to meet so many amazing people because of DECA and I’ve met incredible people that live in the same region as me. Being able to see my friends from all over the region made me so happy and being able to spend time with them at this conference was great! – Irene Kim, Nevada DECA

Message From the President

By Emily Zhang, State President

This October, the State Officer Team has been traveling around California, visiting BASIS Independent and Amador Valley for chapter visits to discuss DECA’s many opportunities and help out with a mock conference. We also strengthened California DECA’s relationship with the National Association of Women Business Owners of Silicon Valley to recruit judges and partner on joint events. With WRLC coming up in November, we can’t wait to see California DECA represent in Anaheim!

DVHS DECA “BOOSTs” Chapter Involvement

By Anika Sumush

This month, DVHS DECA launched the third year of its BOOST program. Designed to get students involved in DECA from a young age, this middle school program takes outreach to the next level. Ever since its introduction in 2016, DVHS DECA’s BOOST has attracted hundreds of students from local middle schools. Training sessions and mini-conferences mirror those attended by high school chapter members, giving middle schoolers the opportunity to get a head start on their DECA journey. As demonstrated by Dougherty Valley DECA, BOOST is an incredible opportunity for not only younger students, but for your school’s DECA chapter as well, providing advantages such as:

1. Leadership opportunities for officers and chapter members

A unique aspect of the BOOST Program, and one which makes it sustainable, is the involvement of chapter members. While many events require effort from hard-working DECA officers, this program provides an opportunity for dedicated chapter members to become leaders. After completing the application process and training, any DECA member able to lead and communicate can become an instructor. For both the chapter officer leading the program and the instructors, BOOST is a real-life opportunity to apply the communication and marketing skills learned in DECA.

2. Increased chapter membership

Arguably the most valuable feature of BOOST is the potential for recruiting new members. The appeal of this program is the chance to be involved in an organization like DECA from a young age. Students begin training for competition years before their first DECA conference, greatly increasing their potential for success. By inspiring business-minded students even before they enter high school, traditional obstacles for chapter enrollment – such as the CTE requirement or time commitment – are easily overcome by BOOST students looking to succeed.

3. Reinforcement of business knowledge

As anyone who has tried studying in a group knows, teaching others is the best way to learn. Before presenting your knowledge to a judge at your next conference, try presenting to middle schoolers! The BOOST curriculum covers business basics, such as types of business ownership or marketing techniques, further preparing instructors for competition. After all, if you can answer students’ endless questions, you are well on your way to impressing any judge.

4. Community involvement

Being a positive influence in your local community is a part of your success as a DECA chapter. Programs like BOOST allow DECA members to directly communicate with leaders and people outside of high school. The BOOST Program creates a better image for your club and creates a community to support your chapter in the future.

For information on how to get a BOOST program started in your school contact Anika Sumush at [email protected] .

Message From the President

By Emily Zhang, State President

The DECA season is officially in full swing, and your state officers have been hard at work to ensure a fruitful and successful year. From our first Presidents Council of the year, to the first Public Forum ever, we’re so glad to have been able to connect with all of you. We look forward to seeing you all in person through chapter visits and at the upcoming Western Region Leadership Conference.

School is officially around the corner, and with it comes the exhilarating potential for a killer DECA year. To ensure your success, the officer team has been planning for chapter visits, Presidents Council, and the upcoming conferences. We can’t wait to see you there, and we wish you all a fulfilling and fruitful year!

WHS DECA Takes on Club Rush

By Sungum Sogani

With the beginning of DECA’s competitive season just around the corner, Washington DECA attended their school’s annual Club Rush event in order to interact with potential members. The event was held on September 12th and 13th and offered an opportunity for new members to learn about the possibility of joining DECA to gain confidence, problem-solving skills, and real-life business experience. The officer team was thrilled to share the countless memories that they have made through DECA and the invaluable skills and values that DECA has taught them.

The event was a success, with many members eager to begin their DECA journeys and experience all that this amazing organization has to offer. WHS DECA is looking forward to this upcoming year, and hopes that it will the most exciting and successful one yet!