This year, DECA nearly doubled in its amount of state qualifiers. With a record number of students advancing to the state level, the competition became even more intense for all participants.

Last month, from March 6-8, 141 state qualifiers from DECA competed at the State Career Development Conference in Dallas, Texas, amongst more than 5,000 members.

“Our team created a 100 page slideshow with multiple different performance indicators,” DECA VP of Finance junior Tarun Vijay said. “I spent months memorizing and applying the knowledge of apparels and accessories marketing to the process as needed.”

For the first time in the chapter’s history, freshmen qualified for the International Career Development Conference, with Jan Sengupta standing among the eight freshmen and 39 students who earned a spot at the competition.

“I was terrified in the beginning,” Sengupta said. “I really thought I wouldn’t get anywhere when I went to state. Despite all the preparation I’ve put into it, I still felt inferior to the other people in my event because I was a freshman.”

Looking ahead at ICDC, the qualifiers shift their focus on preparation to achieve success in the challenging competitions ahead. 30 out of the 39 qualifiers will have to take a 100-question standardized test based on their event that makes up a considerable portion of their overall score.

“Our roleplay team will be focusing on improving in the tests at ICDC,” Vijay said. “That’s the differentiator between most participants and the only standardized process, so that’s the best thing we can improve on.”

ICDC is set to take place from April 26-29 in Orlando, Florida. This year, over 10,000 members will participate in competitive events.

“It still doesn’t feel real,” Vijay said. “We’re going up against the best of the best from around the world, and the stakes are higher than ever. It’s a mix of excitement and nerves. This is the biggest stage in DECA and we all plan to make it count.”

*As seen in print