Dist. 207 students excel at DECA Business Challenge
Maine East and Maine West High School chapters of DECA, an Association of Marketing Students, performed well in the 5th annual Business Challenge hosted by Maine East on October 27. Participants included about 100 Maine East students and about 20 Maine West students, along with 15 members from Northside Prep High School, a new chapter within the region.
Ultimately, more students than ever before participated in the event, and there was much enthusiasm and excitement at the awards ceremony, said Dale Lasky, advisor of Maine East's chapter. “It was so much fun watching my friends go up on stage to receive their trophies,” said Maine East Senior and DECA Executive Team Member, Nikesh Shah.
Overall Business Challenge winners were: Maine East's Alinia Antony, Judy Bielaga, Syed Hussain, Chris Kosmas, Peter Liavas, Rohan Parikh, Jay Shah, Jinal Shah, Aman Tahiliani, Divya Tailor and Pratik Vaidya and Maine West's Slivena Bochukova.
“The Business Challenge is an event that encourages participants to solve real-world business problems in a creative way,” said Lasky.
The competition involves various role-plays in categories such as Sports Marketing, Retail Merchandising, Restaurant Management and Entrepreneurship. Students also take a comprehensive economics test to measure their understanding of key business, economics, and applied mathematics concepts learned in their business classes.
“DECA competitions like the Business Challenge reinforce economics and business mathematics knowledge that will help students perform well in high school, college, and beyond,” said John Schwan, Maine East business teacher and chapter advisor.
“In addition to training our members how to solve real world business and economic problems, we are able to focus on both oral and written communications,” said Lasky.
Since 1946, DECA has filled the role of the premier student organization preparing high school and college students for careers in marketing, management and entrepreneurship. Through DECA's program of activities, and partnerships with business and industry, students develop academic, leadership, communication, human relations, employability and civic responsibility skills. DECA's activities and partnerships focus on local, state, national and international programs designed to encourage career exploration and recognize student achievement.
The goals of DECA are: To develop leadership characteristics; to develop self-confidence and self-acceptance; to develop a greater understanding of our free, competitive enterprise system; and to further develop occupational competencies.