Any student even remotely involved in South High’s community has heard of our longstanding DECA chapter—the business club whose competitions half the school seems to participate in. Every December, droves of students participating in roleplay events flock to Plainview Old Bethpage JFK High School for the Long Island Regional Competition. In March, all who qualify for states board coach buses and make their way up to Rochester for the three–day competition. Then, in late April, those who advance to nationals close off their spring break with a trip out of state.
For those unfamiliar, DECA is an international program for high school and college students interested in business, focusing on developing skills and experiences applicable to one’s career in business or entrepreneurship. With a wide array of virtual and in-person events, the organization attracts students with various skill sets and interests. As such, the organization has expanded rapidly in recent years as students search for ways to pad their college resumes and bring their interests and ideas to life.
In fact, according to Mrs. Sheryl Demetres, business department teacher and 16-year advisor of South’s DECA chapter, around 240 students registered for DECA this year—significantly higher than in previous years.
“If we’re not the biggest [chapter] in New York, then we’re pretty darn close,” said Mr. Rick Vine, the lead teacher of the business department and advisor of the school’s DECA chapter for 26 years. He attributes much of the appeal of the club to its competitiveness: “If you go out there and win one of the trophies in that big case [in the business hall], then you can say, without a doubt: ‘I am the best in this particular event.’ And that goes a long way for feeding your ego.”
“If you like thinking on your feet, there’s the roleplay. If you like to prepare, there’s the manual. There are also a lot of online competitions. DECA reaches a lot of different types of students, and other competitions don’t have as many avenues that you can compete in,” Mrs. Demetres said.
There’s an event for everyone—including those looking to better their community. Junior Ellen Zhang, the vice president of DECA’s manual events, has spent both her years in the club competing in events centered around community service. In her sophomore year, she won first place in Rochester by writing about and presenting her contributions to the event Project Management: Career Development. “Last year, we helped plan career day with Ms. Kinsey,” she said. “We’re still working with Ms. Kinsey this year. For career day, we want students to get more involved with a student task force to help engage speakers and students.”
Zhang has also decided to take on one of DECA’s Corporate Challenges this year, which entails collaborating with the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). “We’re working to spread awareness about being hard of hearing, and we’re teaching people ASL. We’re also doing fundraising tournaments and bake sales, not only to send kids to the MDA Summer Camp, but also to help kids who are hard of hearing.”
Senior Lily Wu, a co-president who has participated in DECA for all four years of high school, was part of a team that launched a project that involved fundraising for the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation in her junior year—which ultimately won her first place in the international-level competition (ICDC).
“Corporate challenges give you a lot of freedom to come up with new ideas, activities, ways of fundraising, ways of marketing and branding yourself. And you’re able to implement them and see a tangible impact,” Wu said.
In the process of preparing for the competition, students also gain invaluable skills that can be transferred to other aspects of life. Senior Paige Louie, another co-president who placed in the top 20 internationally last spring, can attest to the impact of participating in roleplay events. “Being a competitor improved my public speaking skills and my quick thinking because I had to answer questions in front of a judge without any preparation.”
Mrs. Demetres has recognized the same over the years. “One of our DECA presidents from years ago came back, and he said that interviewing for jobs was so much easier with the skills he learned—thinking on his feet, feeling confident in presenting.”
Needless to say, these competitions can also hugely benefit those looking to expand their knowledge of business and entrepreneurship.
Wu has participated in many events, including roleplays, manuals, virtual business, and corporate challenges. “Through the events that I’ve done, I’ve learned how consulting works, how marketing works and that definitely gave me a glimpse of how the real world functions before I’ve even graduated high school. For people who stick with DECA and put the time in to really prepare for it, they definitely have more knowledge in the business field, and that gives them a head start in their career.”
Meanwhile, Louie has stuck with the same event for the past three years—Apparel and Accessories Marketing: Individual Series Roleplay—and for good reason. “DECA has helped me discover how fun and creative business can actually be, and I’ve discovered that I actually really like creating marketing plans and coming up with these techniques to increase awareness of a certain product or a brand.”
However, people don’t join solely because of their interest in the realm of business and entrepreneurship. “I believe that most people who do DECA really grind it for the ICDC trip,” Wu said.
“ICDC is the perfect example of work hard play hard,” Louie said.
In 2024, the Great Neck South chapter sponsored tickets for all ICDC qualifiers to see the Anaheim Angels in a nearby baseball stadium. In 2023, a free trip to Disney World. Students explore on their own time, too, whether through trying out nearby restaurants or visiting popular tourist attractions. Every other spare moment is spent studying or memorizing, as the stakes are higher than ever.
The road to ICDC is full of intensive preparation and sleepless nights. Still, Louie, Wu, and Zhang are unanimous in their enthusiasm for the club: “Join DECA!”
