Bearden recently took seven members of DECA to the International Career Development Conference (ICDC) in California.
Students have represented Bearden year after year at ICDC but notably took six sophomores this year. DECA is a business-oriented club designed to prepare students for careers in marketing and finance.
Students qualified for the international competition at state where they gained valuable experience.
“State was really good practice for ICDC, and it prepared us for what to expect when we went to nationals,” sophomore Thatcher Ella said.
Added sophomore Lydia Kerr: “We tried to be as thorough as possible in our brainstorming process to set ourselves up for success. It was helpful to practice our professionalism when presenting at State.”
DECA sponsor and business teacher Mrs. Tricia Leslie believes Bearden students carry ideal characteristics that allow them to stand out amongst other students. This becomes crucial when competing against more than 23,000 students.
“Our students possess a competitive spirit, determination, willingness to go above and beyond, and risk-taking,” Mrs. Leslie said. “They have competed at the state level which is around 3,000 students, while nationals [ICDC] is upwards of 23,000.”
The pressure of competing against students from several countries did not undermine DECA students’ desire to travel to California. Students in attendance at ICDC were driven by the opportunity to gain experience competing and presenting, further their knowledge of business, and deepen the bonds between their classmates.
Ella and partner Rudra Patel qualified in the Independent Business Plan category, which consists of a detailed paper explaining their business idea that a judge then reviews.
“I decided to go to California for the valuable business and DECA experience,” Ella said. “We both want to pursue careers in business and knew this was a good opportunity to network and learn.”
Mrs. Leslie is proud of the group’s progress over the year and hopes the students will take this knowledge into next year.
“Learning how to communicate both formally and informally, being able to collaborate with a group, and risk-taking have played a huge role in the student’s development,” she said.
Mrs. Leslie notes one specific moment that demonstrated the group’s growth. After realizing the team did not place, they were disappointed but focused on areas that could improve instead of their loss.
“I was proud to see them reflect on their efforts and what they can improve on next year,” she said.
Many DECA students plan on returning to the club next year where they hope to see their experience put into practice; however, this is not the sole reason for student participation. Activities outside of competition such as visiting Universal Studios or Disneyland provide students with time to bond with their peers.
“Having six sophomores go to nationals [ICDC] was special because it allowed us to spend time with students from our grade we might not have if it weren’t for DECA,” Kerr said. “I made so many memories with them which is why I can’t wait to come back next year”.
Added Ella: “The club opened my eyes to the vastness within the business realm. I plan on doing the club next year and hope my experience will better prepare me for competitions to come.”