Twenty-four of the highest scoring students from district finals representing Judson’s DECA have been working long and hard to prepare for upcoming state competition in Dallas from February 24-27. However, not many people are familiar with what they do.

Distributive Education Clubs of America, more commonly known as DECA, is an association of marketing students that prepares developing leaders in finance, business, hospitality, etc.

“With big state competition coming, we need to get ready now more than ever,” sophomore Christina Henderson said.

DECA students have been preparing for state competition in various ways. In order to be eligible for national competition, competitors must be one of the top 4 scorers in their role-play category and receive over a 70 on the written exam or a 70 average between all members if you’re in a team. Role-plays are activities where a student or team is given time to analyze a business situation and put together a strategy to address business related questions given by a judge/judges.

“The toughest part is passing the test” said Henderson, “It will make or break [your competition scores].”

The written exam is a 100 question test on all things business and finance. Competing DECA members attend mandatory tutoring sessions every Tuesday and Thursday before and after school to be sure they’re prepared to score high. They go through flashcards on common business words/phrases, practice tests online and other methods to get the most out of their time. Also, they practice role-plays and presentations to be sure they’re comfortable speaking in front of a judge and having their thoughts flow together as a team.

“All of this hard work will be worth it,” sophomore Matthew Hill said. “At the end, it’s pretty rewarding.”

Every preparation being put into this will be beneficial once state competition comes around. Win or lose, the group will continue to put their best effort into everything they do and represent Judson High School as one of the best in the state.