DECA members at GHS spent a weekend in the Wisconsin Dells for the Emerging Leaders Conference. The event brought together students from across the state for workshops, activities, and chapter bonding.
For Co-President Leonardo Gamboa, the conference gave him new ideas for the year.
“During the opening session, we met with other chapters to discuss best practices, and this helped shape my goals for this year,” Gamboa said. Hearing how other chapters run projects stood out to him, especially food drives and community service events like “The Miracle Minute”.
He also noticed that some schools brought huge groups, saying it made him want to, “see how we can engage more of our student body through DECA”.
DECA Officer Spencer Wendlick said talking with other officers helped him understand his role better.
“Talking to other officers from other schools that have a similar role helped me better understand some things about my officer role and some things I can get better at,” Wendlick said.
He also liked working with random students in small groups, saying that hearing about their methods for communication is something he plans to bring back to GHS.
Senior officer Zayd Cartagena also took away a lot from the conference, especially when it came to staying organized as a chapter.
“One session made me realize that things run way better when everyone actually follows through,” Cartagena said.
Hearing how other chapters keep their members on track gave him ideas for improving communication and making sure officers share the workload instead of relying on the same people every time.
Overall, the Emerging Leaders Conference gave GHS DECA members a better understanding of leadership and how a strong chapter operates. With new ideas and goals, the group returned ready to take what they learned and use it during the competitive season.
