Rinesa Kabashi staff writer
This year, DECA is attending the State Career Development Conference (SCDC) with a record-breaking 81 students planning to attend on Thursday, Feb. 28 through Sunday, March 3.
Co-presidents Mia Grossman and Sean Toobi have changed the club’s studying plans to be a more hands-on environment for members.
“We made a study plan that said week by week what things students should be study using Competition University, and what things they need to practice that week so it’s not all crammed in before,” Grossman said. “We want them to take the competition seriously and realize that it is not that hard for them to go to the international conference, it’s just a matter of studying.”
The club performed its best at district this year and hopes to bring the same energy to the state competition.
“State’s by far the biggest time of the year for us. This is a four-day trip that really culminates everything that they have been doing throughout the year,” Toobi said. “It heightens what they have been learning in the class, but also it solidifies the bond that kids have between each other and really generates those memories that kids have at DECA.”
Toobi believes that the most challenging part of state is battling the intimidation members feel competing against students from Northern California.
“Kids go to state and sometimes they get scared that these other kids have been preparing so much more than them, but at the end of the day, there is [only] so much that you can really prepare,” Toobi said. “So [we are] helping them realize that they have to be confident, no matter how good you are. Confidence is everything.”
The next DECA competition is ICDC in Orlando, Florida from Sunday, April 27 through Tuesday, April 30.