New UA DECA Chapter Brings Home International Competition Award

New UA DECA Chapter Brings Home International Competition Award

Although it had its first meeting only this semester, The University of Akron chapter of DECA (Distributive Education Clubs of America) is already making a splash in the DECA community. Three CBA students, Adi Rajiv, Andrew Barry, and Akron DECA President, Colton West, recently headed to Anaheim, California, to participate in DECA’s Annual International Career Development Conference (ICDC), where West brought home Akron DECA’s first of what are sure to be many competition awards.

At this annual conference, more than 1,600 students from 200 international collegiate DECA chapters gathered to take part in four days of competitions, workshops, and networking events. Within these events, participants had the opportunity to choose from a wide range of professional categories, including everything from Human Resource Management, to Fashion Merchandising, to Corporate Finance.

All three UA students chose to compete in role-play based competitions in which competitors are given a case study and a professional role. Following 30 minutes of preparation, students meet with real-life executives to present their solutions to the case. After making it through the preliminary round, West, a Freshman Corporate Finance and Financial Planning double major, went on to place in the top 10 in the Individual Corporate Finance Competition.

In addition to participating in competitions, Rajiv, Barry, and West attended several workshops, including one specifically for new student-led chapters, where they gained insights on how to better run and manage their emerging student organization in the fall. West stated, “Our experience there will prove to be very beneficial to our chapter. We were the only three delegates from the state of Ohio out of nearly 1,600 participants. By the end of the conference, many of the organization's leaders and administrators knew who Akron DECA was. They were very impressed with our involvement with the entire conference, as well as the experience that we brought to the table for such a new chapter.”

Akron DECA, whose mission is “to prepare emerging leaders and entrepreneurs in marketing, finance, hospitality and management in high schools and colleges around the globe” is open to all majors. With applied practice in practical skills such as speaking, managing, and team-building, along with countless networking opportunities, the benefits to all future professionals are abundant. While the semester is coming to a close, West shared that Akron DECA is already making plans for next year, lining up speakers, planning new trips and fundraisers, organizing community service events, and possibly creating a mock competition with other student organizations on campus. For more information on joining The University of Akron Chapter of DECA, email uakrondeca@gmail.com.