Groomed for Business: Students in Deca

Instead, they’re jetting off to Orlando, Fla., for the Deca International Career Development Conference, April 27–May 3.

“We’re going to have prom on the beach,” joked Cindy Shannon, Parkview marketing teacher and Deca adviser.

The students will be grooming themselves for the professional world by participating in fierce competitions under the banner of Deca – a 56-year-old nonprofit association of high school and college students who study and compete in marketing, management and entrepreneurship programs. The college division is called Delta Epsilon Chi.

Parkview is having unprecedented Deca success this year. Shannon, a 25-year veteran of Deca instruction, said she’s never sent more than three students to the international competition. This year, she’s sending seniors Chris Clark, Megan Von Strohe, Heather Ash, Nick Gaddis, Hassan Rao, Tim Brooks, Ellie Galler, Zach Henderson, Jamile Jones and Aaron Wynn, who had strong showings March 17–19 at the state championships held at Lodge of Four Seasons in Lake Ozark.

At the state championships, Parkview scored two first-place victories – one for its public relations project and one for its entrepreneurship promotion project. Clark, Von Strohe and Ash teamed for the PR project, which focused on increasing Parkview’s recycling efforts. Gaddis, for the entrepreneurship project, went to fifth-grade, eighth-grade and high school classes and directed those students on how to write business plans.

Competition will be stiff at the international competition. Clark estimated his team would face about 250 competitors in its project category. However, Shannon is confident that her students are up to the challenge.

“They are a phenomenal group,” she said.

Parkview and the other Springfield public high schools have Deca programs of varying strengths. Parkview has 120 members, while Glendale’s program has 30. After not qualifying a student for about five years, Glendale is sending one student – junior Donald Bombard – to the international competition. Hillcrest has 85 Deca members, and it’s sending junior Seth Hartsell to Orlando. No Kickapoo or Central Deca students are advancing.

Other area schools with Deca programs include Ozark, Logan-Rogersville, Republic, Seymour, Willard and Branson.

Making money

Deca Inc. – which used to stand for Distributive Education Clubs of America – is based in Reston, Va., and has 185,000 members in the United States, Canada, Guam, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Germany, according to www.deca.org. There are about 8,000 Deca members in Missouri and about 500 in Springfield.

High school juniors and seniors are eligible for Deca participation, where they vie for scholarship money. More than $8,000 is available annually through Missouri Deca and more than $250,000 is available annually through the international competition.

On top of that, individual chapters generate scholarship money through various efforts. Parkview opened a Deca-operated school store in January, in which the students sell pens, notebooks, T-shirts, snacks and other items. Meanwhile, Hillcrest students raise about $10,000 annually through wearing T-shirts adorned with advertisements for businesses, including Medley Motor Co., Positronic Industries, Domino’s Pizza, Bank of America, Andy’s Frozen Custard and Doctors Hospital of Springfield.

“It really allows students to apply what they’ve learned in the classroom to the real business world,” said Parkview student Clark. “It’s really like a big lab, if you will – like you have in science class.”

Fun learning

Aundrea Fletcher, Deca adviser for Glendale, said her students get hooked quickly on participating in Deca.

That was the case for Parkview student Rao.

“It’s a great experience,” he said. “I think it’s given me some very essential skills in the business field – like effective communication skills and thinking on your feet.”

That practical experience can motivate students who otherwise may not be college bound.

Laverne Shaffer, Deca adviser at Hillcrest, said her students often gain confidence through Deca and end up pursuing marketing degrees in college. She estimated 90 percent of her students attend college. Nationally, 86 percent of Deca’s high school members head for college, according to its Web site. Comparatively, about 55 percent of all Hillcrest graduates end up going to college, according to the school’s counseling center.

Deca often attracts the top students. At least two of Parkview’s Deca members plan to become doctors, while another said he wants to become a lawyer.

“They are extremely great kids,” said Hillcrest’s Shaffer. “Hard workers – you do not find one out of 20 that will not do anything you ask.”

Record success for Parkview

Parkview High School is sending 10 students to the International Deca Career Development Conference, April 27–May 3 in Orlando, Fla. Previously, Parkview hadn’t sent more than three students to the competition. Below are the students with their projects and ranks at the March 17 state championships in Lake Ozark:

Chris Clark, Megan Von Strohe and Heather Ash – Public Relations Project, 1st place of 26 teams

Nick Gaddis – Entrepreneurship Promotion Project, 1st of 26 teams

Aaron Wynn – Marketing Management Series Event, 4th of 39 teams

Hassan Rao and Tim Brooks – E-Commerce Team Decision Making, 4th of 25 teams

Ellie Galler and Zach Henderson – Financial Analysis Team Decision Making, 5th of 25 teams

Jamile Jones – Accounting Series Event, 5th of 39 teams[[In-content Ad]]