Jamesville-DeWitt High School has quite a large collection of clubs under its belt, and one of its newer clubs has found their target. DECA, a club first started during 2021, has seen a surge in club members, spiking from six members to twenty-two in the past year. So, what is DECA, and what has warranted such popularity?

DECA stands for Distributive Education Clubs of America. Like Model UN, this club is part of a larger nationwide organization that hosts competitions and centers around role-playing situations. The organization focuses on teaching younger students about business practices. Due to this, DECA club members can expect to learn the trade practice as well as be able to test their abilities.

The club participates in different competitions, starting from regional competitions and moving onto state competitions before finally competing at a national level. This year, seventeen of J-D’s DECA members have managed to move on to the state competition.

“A lot of members have voiced their success, not just getting awards, but also personal successes,” says Ayah Abdel-Aziz, one of DECA’s co-presidents. “One student said they got more experience in an interview setting and with their leadership skills.”

Zamora McBride, DECA’s other president, agrees. “It’s really good for your confidence. There was a freshman who did it this year and she went to the regional competition. She didn’t have any confidence in how she’d do and she ended up getting a reward.”

While it might be too late to join this year, if you want to pursue the field of business in the future, DECA may just be the perfect club for you.