River Dell’s DECA Team Leads an Enriching Season

by Irene Cho, Jiwon Jeong, and Seowon Jeong

than the rest of the club for the state competition. The remaining members had to write either a 10-page or 20page paper to participate in SCDC. This year was the first time 14 students at River Dell wrote essays to participate in states. The competition began at an introduction ceremony in Atlantic City, New Jersey, where students greeted each other before the work began.

ing to an actual business convention. It builds your presentation and public speaking skills.” She continues, “Although we went into it unprepared since we didn’t know what to expect, the other competitors motivated and encouraged us to try harder.” Due to their achievements in the States round, Sydney and Bria earned a chance to participate at Nationals in Orlando, Florida, which was held in April.

Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA)a business club - takes part in a larger national organization that hosts competitions centering on roleplaying business situations and practices.

With Mrs. Lenihan as the club advisor, River Dell’s DECA allows students to enhance their business knowledge by offering many enriching experiences. On February 27th, 16 students went on a three-day overnight trip to Atlantic City, New Jersey, to perform at The State Career Development Conference (SCDC).

Before the SCDC, the club members participated in the districts’ competition.

Aaron Okrainsky and Darsh Patel qualified for the SCDC and had the opportunity to give a different presentation

The following day, Sydney Fojas and Bria Kim, current sophomores at River Dell, won fifth place overall in their topic, IMCP (Integrated Marketing Campaign Product). After the IMCP, Bria commented, “Since it’s my first year in the club, I feel that I’ve gained a lot of experience within the business field; we had to research our product and find different marketing techniques to use. Overall, it’s great! You learn a lot while also having fun with your friends and other students within the club.” Bria encourages other students to pursue this valuable experience in high school. Her partner, Sydney, also recalls that this “experience like go-

From April 22nd to April 26th, Irene Cho, Sophia Cho, Sydney Fojas, and Bria Kim traveled to Orlando, Florida, for DECA ICDC (International Career Development Conference).

Sydney Fojas and Bria Kim presented their project in the international competition, while Irene Cho and Sophia Cho attended the Thrive Academy hosted at ICDC. Thrive Academy was a two-day leadership seminar where students took the time to listen to various speakers, enjoy social activities, and meet new people. The theme was centered around leadership, but each speaker led their lecture differently; some taught through stories and others through handson activities, like sharing questions with new people. Overall, they developed students’ leadership abilities and taught them how to apply their skills in reallife situations. In recalling her experience, Irene Cho states, “I got to make so many friends from all over the country, and I met some kids from New Jersey! We got super close in only four days, and we even made plans to hang out together in the summer. I’m so glad I didn’t miss out on this opportunity and thankful to the Board of Education for making this happen!”

This trip was an excellent experience for the students who attended, and they are looking forward to their upcoming years as DECA members.