DECA has yet another successful competition. The annual district competition was held at Arizona State, with all local schools competing on Jan 16 and all other schools in Arizona on a different day. With students competing in all different sorts of events that all relate to the marketing world. These students walk away with more than just the gold, they also walk away with skills that these competitions can only provide. Some of these competitions include hospitality marketing, fast food and merchandising, basic marketing, finances and sports and entertainment marketing.

Seniors Kendall Penrod and Leanne Silevy are competing as a partner group and they describe the events as “a very professional experience but at the same time it is organized chaos.”

These competitions not only help with classes but they create a foundation for the competitors. Penrod and Silevy both agree that these competitions give people the experience of talking to higher authority and public speaking that will be a needed fact if someone wants to make it in the business world. The competition that the partner group competed in consisted of them acting as marketing managers who had to create a business plan and present it to a CEO of a business with the topic of hospitality otherwise known as traveling tourism who marketed to favor college students.

District is not only beneficial for the contenders and their skills but for their futures as well. Silevy describes how she believes that “[Competing] help with networking, because you meet lots of high up people” Silevy said, ”and they can connect you to job interviews for your future.”

As a whole team, they not only brought home an experience, but they brought home 58 medals. DECA teacher Rob Lange shares that Perry brought home a total of 58 medals, while all the other school combined got a total of 67.

This is not the biggest group of students who have won medals. Last year’s numbers were much lower, as only 5 kids went to the state competition. After the large numbers of student who medaled at district, Lange said “48 kids will be going to state, and we will have 28 returning students at this years states competition so it will be a much more experienced group.” This years state competition will be held on the first weekend of March. The students who participate in the state competition will be competing at the Arizona Grand, where they will spend the first day competing to find out who will be in the finals.  This competition will add skills and experience to the students competing.