Next generation entrepreneurs shine in Deca

High school students throughout Springfield and the Ozarks are involved in something of a secret for business training – the world of Deca.

Deca, once an acronym for Distributive Educational Clubs of America, provides vocational training to marketing students across the state through district, state and international competitions.

Last month, roughly 1,700 Missouri high school students and teachers attended the 65th annual Deca competition at Lake of the Ozarks, with future business professionals from many local chapter schools competing in front of about 100 current businesspeople from across the state.

Cindy Shannon, an advanced marketing instructor at Parkview High School, is sending nine of her students to the international competition in Anaheim, Calif., on April 24–28, the most of any school in the Springfield area.

She said her 100 marketing students across five classes are automatically members of Deca, but not everyone competes. She said about 30 participated in a district competition in February before 24 of those advanced to the state event in March.

Before they compete, students have to take written exams, she said, that question their knowledge of the marketing concepts they learn in class. Top competitors at the state level move on to the international competition.

She said the students’ class work as members of Deca is preparing the next generation of businesspeople.

“We are now looking into a leadership focus here at Parkview for our learning emphasis. Some of the skills that we feel are important for success are things such as initiative, creativity, teamwork, the ability to communicate and problem solve. All of those things Deca teaches,” Shannon said.

Missouri State University Deca adviser Linda Krehbiel said Deca students from across the state compete in roughly 20 events, where they solve problems in areas such as buying merchandise or management. They also can participate in teams through seven areas such as business law and hospitality, Krehbiel said. Then there are written events where students research topics and present their findings in front of judges from the business community. Statewide business leaders, including Peter Herschend, have judged students at the state level, she said. Also, she said students create marketing campaigns through policy papers.

“They can do an ad campaign for a company such as Victoria’s Secret, or a sports and entertainment promotion plan for Dick’s Sporting Goods or Bass Pro Shops,” Krehbiel said. “How many opportunities do you get to participate in an organization like that where you could actually come up with a solution to a problem that has been out there at some time and present that to someone who is actually in the business world?”

Parkview is one of seven Springfield-area high schools with students qualifying for the international competition. Krehbiel said Seymour qualified six students; Glendale, five; Ozark, four; Kickapoo and Willard, three each; and Branson, two.

The nine Parkview students advancing this year are the most since in 2007, when PHS sent 10 to the international competition. Shannon said the contest is expected to draw 13,000 students and administrators this year.

Parkview boasts three state champions this year: one each in food marketing, business management and human resources management.

“There are lots of area businesspeople who have gone through our program,” Shannon said, pointing to Staxx Boutique owner Meghan Chambers, a student of Shannon’s at Glendale High.

Other former Deca students include country musician Rhett Roberson, who tours with his brother as the Rhett Roberson Band and is performing gigs from Arkansas to Minnesota, and marketer Megan VonStrohe, who works for Arkansas-based advertising firm Cheyenne Products.

Alex Heilman, a Parkview senior and state champion in food marketing, advanced to the 2013 international competition by passing a test of his food marketing knowledge and participating in a role-playing scenario where he had to solve real-world marketing problems.

“This year at state, one of the problems was a local grocery store was out of a particular sale item, and I had to handle that. With the other one, I had to try and push gift card sales, so I had to solve problems with (placement of) the kiosk for gift cards and how I could boost sales and drive impulse purchases,” Heilman said.

As part the Missouri Cooperative Work Experience Program through the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Heilman works at Hy-Vee. As a grocery store dairy clerk, he is earning two credits toward graduation, but Heilman said while working he looks for opportunities where he can test his marketing knowledge.  

“For the most part, I do stock product. I clean; I organize,” Heilman said. “I find the most enjoyment in looking at sales progress through the numbers and seeing how we can boost sales.”

With 8,600 Deca members at 179 chapter schools, Krehbiel said Missouri is active compared to other states, ranking it No. 6 in the country.

“These students are a hidden gem,” Krehbiel said. “These are emerging leaders.”[[In-content Ad]]