Last week, 11 students from Greendale DECA took a trip to Lake Geneva to compete in the Business Case Studies competition and participate in other fun activities. All students had to take a 100 question test in the business area of their choice and do two interactive case studies before a judge. Some students also competed with additional projects. After all was said done, six qualified for Nationals.
The DECA adviser was pleased with the work from all the DECA members.
“Our students represented GDale High School very well. In fact, 6 of the 11 who went to State ended up qualifying for National Competition in Orlando, FL in late April,” principal Steve Lodes said.
The students who advanced were: junior Leo Gamboa for business finance series, juniors Jack Grunske and Noah Thompson for SBE project, Senior Delany Eggert and Junior Eva Sula for marketing project, and sophomore Ella Potkay for principles of marketing event.
Students had different topics for each competition and shared their experiences.
“I thought the competition went well, and my topic was about our school store,” Grunske said. “I think my group succeeded because we worked together and knew a lot about the school store coming into it.”
“My topic was principles of marketing,” Potkay said. “I think my prior knowledge of the topics helped me succeed.”
The students were impressed with their presentation and believed this was a great lesson.
DECA member, Gamboa, learned a lot. “This year’s SCDC has helped me learn lots of useful skills, some being learning how to be more extroverted, advocating for myself and preparation,” he said.
Junior, Casey Lamb, enjoyed her time aswell. “I was personally proud of my performance, and the chance to go to state was a big learning experience. The key to helping me succeed is to not overthink and have confidence within yourself,” she said.
Members from DECA explained what the judges look for in competition.
“Judges look for someone who uses a lot of creativity in their solutions,” Sula said. “They also look for people who can speak clearly, stand out, and relate their ideas to business.”
“Judges look for organization, hitting your talking points, confidence, and how you can set yourself apart from the other competitors in your event,” junior Zayd Cartagena said.
Overall, both the DECA members and the DECA adviser were thrilled with the way this competition went. They hope to see more of this passionate drive in future competitions.
