Photo by DECA Inc. 

By: Parniya Bayat Mokhtari and Espe Marchant Valenzuela

This February 12 to 14, qualifying students of the DECA Club attended the Ontario DECA Provincials Competition in downtown Toronto. Our St. Augustine CHS community is proud to announce that some of our students were recognized for their high scores! The event was a great opportunity for competitors to spend time in a professional environment, meet people with similar interests from all over Ontario, and explore the city.

What is DECA?

DECA is an international association of students who compete in a variety of business competitions, preparing emerging leaders and entrepreneurs for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality and management. Students compete in role plays and case studies, or prepared events. Through role plays, competitors are able to practise their problem-solving and communication skills. Competitors used quick thinking to prepare 10- to 15-minute presentations while having either 15 (individual) or 30 (team) minutes to prepare. Each competitor also completed a 100-question exam in which their expertise in the cluster was tested. Overall, DECA is a wonderful opportunity to expand your knowledge, make connections, and develop your professional communication skills. 

Awards

We are proud to announce that our students received a total of seven top 20 individual role-play awards, four top 20 team role-play awards, and four top 10 overall awards, all in their respective events. Congratulations to all the students who attended and thanks go to Ms. Brizzi and all the trainers that helped them prepare for their written exams and role plays.

Overall, we are proud of our students who participated in the competition, and encourage others to try DECA next year.