From November 21-23, 2025, your California DECA State Officers had the opportunity to travel to Arlington, Virginia, for DECA’s Ultimate Power Trip – an engaging, interactive national conference focusing on leadership, innovation, and career preparation. Throughout the weekend, we interacted with thousands of members (including our California DECA delegation), attended valuable workshops, and competed for national recognition.
Whether learning how to build and pitch our own start-up ideas, hearing directly from industry leaders about the most in-demand skills in today’s job market, or connecting with DECA’s company and university partners, every workshop session reinforced DECA’s mission of preparing emerging leaders and entrepreneurs for college and careers. These experiences gave us valuable insight into how national trends in business, innovation, and workforce development can be translated into meaningful opportunities for California DECA members.
In addition to attending sessions, our state officer team had the opportunity to host our own workshop, “Eye See DC: Glass-Winning Visual Strategies.” This session focused on teaching members how to use visuals to elevate both roleplays and written events. Through an interactive, hands-on activity, members practiced turning images and visuals into a clear, compelling story with smooth transitions. With incredibly high participation and engagement, your California State Officer Team was so lucky to teach DECA members and emerging leaders from across the nation, providing attendees with applicable tools they can bring back to their chapters and conferences.
Beyond the conference sessions, we also attended DECA’s “D.C. After Dark” sightseeing tour, exploring iconic monuments and learning their history. In addition, Team 75 connected with several California district representatives, advocating for increased Career Technical Education (CTE) funding and sustained legislative support for DECA and CTSO programs. These conversations reinforced the importance of student voice in policymaking and strengthened our commitment to ensuring DECA members across California have access to the resources, opportunities, and support needed to succeed.
Team 75 cannot wait to bring these lessons, strategies, and insights back to California, equipping members to compete, lead, and make an impact confidently and at every level.
By Jaylyn Chong | CA DECA Vice President of Leadership
