DECA State Career & Development Conference

Nearing the end of February, members of ORCA’s ASCEND DECA chapter attended DECA’s State Career & Development Conference (SCDC).

The conference was hosted from the 22nd to the 24th in Portland, where nearly 1,000 students representing several Oregon DECA chapters attended. Over the three days, SCDC offered students the chance to network, grow strength between chapter members, and gain experience with DECA’s emphasis on leadership and entrepreneurial skills. The conference also gave students the opportunity to advance to the International Career Development Conference through competition. 

The main appeal for the conference is for the competition available to students. DECA itself is about empowering students in their leadership and professional skills. Competitive events give the opportunity for students to gain experience and feedback to learn from. In the weeks leading up to the event, members attending would study, plan and execute various competitions they and their team registered for. This included projects with a central objective, and role-plays with paired exams about business and career-centric subjects. 

At the conference, students would present their projects and perform their role-plays to judges, where they were given points on their specific work, creativity, communication and general professionalism. When all student work had been evaluated, finalists would be announced at the conference’s sessions.

SCDC’s sessions were hosted by Oregon DECA’s leadership team, and occurred in the evenings, when most events should have concluded. These sessions would seat every chapter member and advisor, from every DECA chapter across the state. The specifics changed each day, but these sessions all made sure you were certain that you were at an Oregon DECA event. If patriotism extended to student organizations, it was made evident here. Every student, regardless of chapter role, took every opportunity to rave and cheer, whenever speakers on stage prompted. Speakers on stage spoke about DECA principles, stories of leadership, internal DECA members, later and related events, and any competition awards and finalists. 

In between sessions and other events, students at the conference had a wide variety of activities to explore at the conference. There were plenty of workshops for students to observe and learn about distinct topics from motivated speakers, all pertaining to the core skills of marketing, finance, hospitality, and management DECA promotes. Booths were placed in the Exhibit Hall, where universities, educational programs, and successful Oregon DECA chapter projects were all open for conversation with anyone interested in attendance.  SCDC even handed out blackout bingo cards at the start of the conference, promoting students to attend all events and even get to know DECA state officers.

However, most of any free time chapters had, was spent holding chapter meetings. Here, members would coordinate and refine their presentations, review event guidelines, take notes from example case-studies, and plan their schedule. This time was pivotal for creating bonds and self-confidence throughout the chapter team. When working together as a team, chapter members were able to grow and learn, work on their weaknesses safely and revel in their strengths. 

As with any event as big as SCDC, there will inevitably be some complications. As a whole, the conference struggled with keeping events at their scheduled time, and with properly updating attendees with its new, changed times. Chapters had to be constantly on their toes, in case an event of theirs was placed suddenly at a different time slot they had planned. Another struggle students and teams faced was with the conference’s handling of accessibility within the events. The conference already has students walking all day on their feet, filled with staircases, going over from event to event. In hallways, there were few places to sit besides the floor, and some events had no seating at all, even when no presentation was required from students. Larger events, like the leadership sessions, have little regards to attendees that get overstimulated easily. Not much was done to maintain the massive crowd’s attitudes and actions. This was on top of speakers with exaggerated bass tones, and strong spotlights in darkness, creating the perfect uncomfortable environment for some students. 

Even with the setbacks SCDC faced, the conference maintained its goal throughout the student experience. The three days hosted were filled with several opportunities for DECA members to exercise their knowledge in workplace skills, gain experience, and learn from the various events presented, competitive or otherwise. Chapter members were able to embrace an environment encouraging their own agency, as well as uplifting their teamwork, both in its productivity and the personal connections that make it. 

DECA is a student organization that’s main fundamental mission is to invigorate emerging leaders. True leadership is found in supporting and encouraging the team, so they can be guided together to achieve their goals. That is what the State Career & Development Conference fostered within the chapters and members attending. 

To learn more about ORCA’s ASCEND DECA chapter, visit the ASCEND DECA website.