By Aashna Shah
If you walk into a classroom before a DECA competition, you will probably notice something unusual. Students in full business suits at 7 a.m. Someone is pacing the hallway, practicing a marketing pitch. Another person is flipping through finance notes while holding an iced coffee. It might look chaotic, but for thousands of students across the country, this is where future entrepreneurs, marketers, and executives are getting their start.
DECA is a high school business organization where students compete in events such as marketing, finance, hospitality, and entrepreneurship. Instead of taking traditional tests, competitors are given real-world business scenarios and must develop solutions on the spot. In one event, you might act as a marketing consultant trying to help a struggling company. In another scenario, you might pitch a startup idea to a judge who is acting as an investor.
What makes DECA different from most school activities is how real it feels. Students learn how to think quickly, communicate clearly, and present ideas with confidence. Walking into a roleplay event can be intimidating, especially when a judge begins asking detailed questions about your strategy. That pressure, however, is exactly what helps students grow.
But DECA is not only about competition. It is also about community. Conferences often feel like organized chaos. Hundreds of students rush between events, adjust their blazers, review notes, and celebrate together after awards ceremonies. Friendships are formed during long bus rides to competitions, late-night preparation sessions, and the excitement of hearing your school’s name called on stage.
Beyond medals and trophies, the real impact of DECA is the confidence it builds. Students learn how to speak professionally, present ideas clearly, and think like leaders. Those skills stay with them long after high school and carry into college, internships, and careers.
For many students, DECA starts as a club. It quickly becomes something much bigger. It becomes a place where ideas turn into opportunities, and where students begin to see themselves as the next generation of business leaders.
Aashna Shah is an Indian American sophomore at Syosset High School interested in business and storytelling. She hopes to use the Kaleidoscope as a pathway to uplift underserved communities. She serves as the Submission Coordinator for Kaleidoscope, where she helps curate and elevate youth voices through storytelling.
