Our own Morris Hills DECA crew recently attended and competed in the Regional Career Development Conference on Jan. 14 at Ramapo College, radiating their business knowledge and skills in professional attire.

A staggering 43 members qualified for the New Jersey State Career Development Conference (SCDC), where they will have the chance to advance further in their DECA journey toward the International Career Development Conference (ICDC).

The knights participating in DECA showed their expertise in categories including Marketing, Finance, Entrepreneurship, and Hospitality & Tourism. The roleplay competitions at Ramapo College consisted of roleplay rounds for individual and team events, in which they take on a business role in a formal presentation with a judge, who also takes on a role that challenges competitors.

The individual role play is 10 minutes long, with only a 10-minute preparation time allotted for the students. For teams of two and three, students have a 30-minute preparation time with 15 minutes to present their creative solutions to the judge’s queries.

Joining the club has returned benefits far and wide for competitors, including learning how to synthesize large amounts of information into verbal presentations in short periods. “Competing at regionals was an eye-opening experience,” said junior Sarosh Poondla, a first-time competitor in Principles of Entrepreneurship.

“I learned so much about thinking on my feet and presenting ideas from very limited preparation time,” he added. “Each conference builds my confidence and helps me prepare for internships and a future career in business.”

With the state competition on the horizon, DECA members are gearing up for even greater success. The written event competitors will be joining our roleplay competitors in advancing to the states’ round. Congratulations to all participants for their hard work and achievements at regionals, and best of luck to those advancing to SCDC!