Chapter Spotlight
Special thanks goes to Trumbull High DECA and advisor Mr. Todd Manuel for their contributions, thoughts, and images from their ICDC experience. Below are the reflections of 3 students, that sum up not only their own experiences in Orlando, but those of many DECA students across the nation.
Starting Conversations with Complete Strangers...
The National DECA Conference as a whole was an incredible experience. I learned leadership skills and ways to communicate that left a lasting impression on me. Being that this is my first year in DECA I was really amazed by how many students are in this organization all around the world. Every student involved was dedicated to their state and was extremely excited to meet new people. I had a first hand opportunity at meeting new people and networking. I was in the Senior Management Institute (SMI) and this program was only for seniors that wrote a letter and were accepted into the program. The SMI teaches you how to prepare for your life after high school and is designed to create awareness of skills you need to succeed in the future. The SMI was a great way to network and meet new people from countries around the world. I was able to trade my pin and then start up a conversation with new people. Every state has their own pin and my friends and I wanted to get every state in the country Canada, and Puerto Rico. The pin trading was a fun activity for me during the SMI because it broke the ice and made it easier to talk to people about almost anything.
Our DECA chapter's trip to Orlando, Florida for Nationals was an amazing experience that I will never forget. I will take the tips and communication skills as well as other interactive activities for the rest of my life. It has gotten me even more interested in studying business and marketing, which I plan on going on to study in college, beginning next year. I learned how to start up conversations with complete strangers, which I wouldn't have been able to do without the common ground each of us had with DECA Many say that DECA is like a colt, where everyone that's a part of it becomes so intrigued with everyone else, and gets so involved that they make it their top interest by choice. It has definitely made me extremely close with members in my chapter and has forged unforgettable memories that I will take with me forever.
I deeply enjoyed this learning experience and were definitely recommend it to anyone, in fact, I already have. I learned to both be approachable and also forward in my intents to talk to someone, especially in a business atmosphere. This is an amazingly valuable skill to learn, especially since I will most likely using it later in life. Also, I got to speak with CEO and Presidents of large scale and successful companies such as Finish Line and Reebok at the conference. Asking them questions gave me a glimpse and some answers to get to where they are and be as triumphant as them.
In essence, being a part of DEC A has only been a positive experience and only positive outcomes have come as a result of joining it. I am thankful that Trumbull has a chapter and hope it keeps growing, and am thankful I can say I am part of national DECA, where I will have only positive connections in the future with others that have the same common ground.
- Samantha Fein ‘11
Lasting Friendships...
Going to DECA's 2011 International Career Developing Conference and just being part of DECA in general, was by far the most amazing experience that I have had in all of my four years at Trumbull High School. Everything that I acquired through DECA and the marketing course are skills and knowledge that I plan on using for the rest of my life. Nothing else that I have ever experienced comes close to DECA and it really is something that you have to be part of to understand. Although I cannot necessarily describe in words what DECA is or what it is like. I can simply explain what I have learned.
Going in, I didn't really know what I was getting myself into at the beginning of the school year but I instantly got involved with our school's DECA program through the marketing class I am taking. I helped organize our DECA scavenger hunt with the rest of the chapter and also designed the rough draft of our 2010-2011 Trumbull DECA t-shirt. However, it wasn't until the Connecticut State Leadership Conference that I was able to meet other Connecticut DECA members and see how their chapters were involved. I knew then that I wanted to continue pursuing DECA throughout the rest of the year. And I did so by competing in the state competition in the Advertising Campaign event along with my two teammates. The three of us worked hours on end to formulate our eleven page written business plan along with a PowerPoint presentation and poster board. Although we did not place in the top three for event which would have meant we qualified for nationals, I can safely say that all three of us definitely learned how to really apply what we learned in the classroom into a real world situation; which is a skill we will need in college and in the business field.
Overall I would like to say how much I appreciate being given this opportunity to be part of DECA. And if anything, I wish I could go back and have been part of DECA all four years because based off of what I learned in one year, I could not even imagine everything that I could have learned in four. I will never forget my experiences with DECA, especially the ones at ICDC. At ICDC I didn't only learn skills and strategies for life and the business field; I made lasting friendships with my Trumbull DECA members. As for next year, I plan on attending the University of Connecticut and although I am not completely certain if there is a Collegiate DECA chapter there or not, either way I definitely plan on being part of Collegiate DECA because I can no longer miss out on any opportunities that DECA offers.
- Lisa Maresca ‘11
A Unique Experience - Academically and Socially...
The ICDC provided a networking opportunity which is unparalleled by any other school-sponsored event. At the conference, there were students representing all 50 states, Puerto Rico, South Korea, Guam, and several Canadian provinces. During the five days of the trip each of us was able to meet with people from every one of these places, even having lunch with students from New Mexico on Sunday afternoon and seeing students from Ontario while having dinner at the House of Blues.
The DECA program offers a truly unique experience for students to grow both academically and socially. It stretched me to become a more confident speaker, to become more articulate, and gave me a taste of what the business world will be like.
- Kevin Meeson ‘12
Starting Conversations with Complete Strangers...The National DECA Conference as a whole was an incredible experience. I learned leadership skills and ways to communicate that left a lasting impression on me. Being that this is my first year in DECA I was really amazed by how many students are in this organization all around the world. Every student involved was dedicated to their state and was extremely excited to meet new people. I had a first hand opportunity at meeting new people and networking. I was in the Senior Management Institute (SMI) and this program was only for seniors that wrote a letter and were accepted into the program. The SMI teaches you how to prepare for your life after high school and is designed to create awareness of skills you need to succeed in the future. The SMI was a great way to network and meet new people from countries around the world. I was able to trade my pin and then start up a conversation with new people. Every state has their own pin and my friends and I wanted to get every state in the country Canada, and Puerto Rico. The pin trading was a fun activity for me during the SMI because it broke the ice and made it easier to talk to people about almost anything.
Our DECA chapter's trip to Orlando, Florida for Nationals was an amazing experience that I will never forget. I will take the tips and communication skills as well as other interactive activities for the rest of my life. It has gotten me even more interested in studying business and marketing, which I plan on going on to study in college, beginning next year. I learned how to start up conversations with complete strangers, which I wouldn't have been able to do without the common ground each of us had with DECA Many say that DECA is like a colt, where everyone that's a part of it becomes so intrigued with everyone else, and gets so involved that they make it their top interest by choice. It has definitely made me extremely close with members in my chapter and has forged unforgettable memories that I will take with me forever.
I deeply enjoyed this learning experience and were definitely recommend it to anyone, in fact, I already have. I learned to both be approachable and also forward in my intents to talk to someone, especially in a business atmosphere. This is an amazingly valuable skill to learn, especially since I will most likely using it later in life. Also, I got to speak with CEO and Presidents of large scale and successful companies such as Finish Line and Reebok at the conference. Asking them questions gave me a glimpse and some answers to get to where they are and be as triumphant as them.
In essence, being a part of DEC A has only been a positive experience and only positive outcomes have come as a result of joining it. I am thankful that Trumbull has a chapter and hope it keeps growing, and am thankful I can say I am part of national DECA, where I will have only positive connections in the future with others that have the same common ground.
- Samantha Fein ‘11
Lasting Friendships...
Going to DECA's 2011 International Career Developing Conference and just being part of DECA in general, was by far the most amazing experience that I have had in all of my four years at Trumbull High School. Everything that I acquired through DECA and the marketing course are skills and knowledge that I plan on using for the rest of my life. Nothing else that I have ever experienced comes close to DECA and it really is something that you have to be part of to understand. Although I cannot necessarily describe in words what DECA is or what it is like. I can simply explain what I have learned.
Going in, I didn't really know what I was getting myself into at the beginning of the school year but I instantly got involved with our school's DECA program through the marketing class I am taking. I helped organize our DECA scavenger hunt with the rest of the chapter and also designed the rough draft of our 2010-2011 Trumbull DECA t-shirt. However, it wasn't until the Connecticut State Leadership Conference that I was able to meet other Connecticut DECA members and see how their chapters were involved. I knew then that I wanted to continue pursuing DECA throughout the rest of the year. And I did so by competing in the state competition in the Advertising Campaign event along with my two teammates. The three of us worked hours on end to formulate our eleven page written business plan along with a PowerPoint presentation and poster board. Although we did not place in the top three for event which would have meant we qualified for nationals, I can safely say that all three of us definitely learned how to really apply what we learned in the classroom into a real world situation; which is a skill we will need in college and in the business field.
Overall I would like to say how much I appreciate being given this opportunity to be part of DECA. And if anything, I wish I could go back and have been part of DECA all four years because based off of what I learned in one year, I could not even imagine everything that I could have learned in four. I will never forget my experiences with DECA, especially the ones at ICDC. At ICDC I didn't only learn skills and strategies for life and the business field; I made lasting friendships with my Trumbull DECA members. As for next year, I plan on attending the University of Connecticut and although I am not completely certain if there is a Collegiate DECA chapter there or not, either way I definitely plan on being part of Collegiate DECA because I can no longer miss out on any opportunities that DECA offers.
- Lisa Maresca ‘11
A Unique Experience - Academically and Socially...
The ICDC provided a networking opportunity which is unparalleled by any other school-sponsored event. At the conference, there were students representing all 50 states, Puerto Rico, South Korea, Guam, and several Canadian provinces. During the five days of the trip each of us was able to meet with people from every one of these places, even having lunch with students from New Mexico on Sunday afternoon and seeing students from Ontario while having dinner at the House of Blues.The DECA program offers a truly unique experience for students to grow both academically and socially. It stretched me to become a more confident speaker, to become more articulate, and gave me a taste of what the business world will be like.
- Kevin Meeson ‘12
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