Bright Spot: DECA Hawaiʻi Island Regionals
Almost every business leader was once a student, taking in experiences and knowledge to influence their future ideas.
We like to support school and community efforts to connect students pursuing all types of passions, including those with entrepreneurial or corporate ambitions. This past January, we had a great time volunteering to help some of the island’s business-oriented high school students show off their pitching skills.
About DECA
DECA stands for Distributive Education Clubs of America. It covers college and high school students working toward careers in business. There is also a leadership component with member-elected positions, which a few of the students were eagerly preparing to run for. Recently, more and more DECA clubs have been forming across the island. We actually did a feature a few years ago about some of the business pathway opportunities, including DECA, at Honoka‘a High & Intermediate School. It was great to see the club’s students in action and catch up with their always-enthusiastic club advisor.
The competition
View of UH Hilo’s main entrance from the competition’s sign-in area where students had their professional clothing checked.
This regional event was held at UH Hilo to allow students from across Hawaiʻi Island to practice for the state-level competition in February. Students got to familiarize themselves with the competition’s format, and hopefully build confidence and excitement along the way. In addition to competition preparation, they also gained valuable connections and skills from presenting to leaders from the local business community, including potential future professors and employers.
Door to one of the UH classrooms set aside for presentations.
Each student had a category: Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Principles of Business Management & Administration, and Business Services Management. Based on their categories, students went to a prep room where a business scenario prompt and scratch paper were waiting. Competitors were given time to quietly prepare a strategy based on the prompt before presenting their ideas to a judge (or two) and answering any questions.
After each presentation, judges used a rubric to assign scores while the students got to relax and socialize with peers who might be future colleagues and business partners. After all the presentations were finished, the students enjoyed a group tour of the UH Hilo campus, lunch, and an award ceremony. Top contestants received medals in each category, as well as overall.
After the competition, students gathered for a campus tour with the UH Hilo admissions department.
Beyond coming up with plans and solutions to their assigned prompts, students also got to practice critical ‘people skills’ like networking and communicating with diverse members of the community. These skills should enhance their professional lives, while also fostering well-connected future business leaders that would like to give back.
Participating schools
Thanks to the work of DECA advisors and complex area staff from around the island, there were dozens of students from Honokaʻa, Waiakea, Keaʻau, and Konawaena high schools in attendance. The atmosphere was one of support and camaraderie, rather than rivalry; after all, they would all be traveling to compete against the rest of the state soon.
DECA and DOE organizers congratulate Principles of Business Management & Administration winners.
DECA and DOE organizers congratulate Entrepreneurship winners.
We are pleased to report that there was representation from each school in the winners’ circle. If the cheering in the room was any indication, the students and advisors were all rightfully proud of their hard work and talents!
Event helpers
Event organizers and volunteers set up lunch catered by Hilo High culinary students.
We were honored to be invited to help by DOE staff, but there was such a good turnout that we had more judges and volunteers than needed! Volunteers from businesses and organizations in the community came as judges and general volunteers, including many familiar faces from career fairs and other events. UH Hilo’s College of Business and Economics provided a lot of assistance (and free swag!), and the admissions department took the students on a campus tour.
We also had healthy lunches catered by Hilo High School’s culinary students, who did a wonderful job. We hope that more culinary programs can be involved in future events like this. When event organizers can pay for the cost of ingredients, it helps two sets of career pathway students at once.
How you could help
Folks interested in supporting DECA or other student clubs can inquire at their local school campuses. DECA has been expanding rapidly, and high schools might create a chapter if they do not already have one. Clubs may also be open to mentors and internship providers, or fundraising assistance for clothing, supplies, and travel costs associated with competitions.
The best way to find out how to support a club is to reach out and ask! And if you know a student with a career pathway interest, do all you can to help them find or launch local opportunities to connect with others on similar paths.
