All about Collegiate DECA of SEMO
What is DECA?
At its core, DECA is a competition based club for business situations. Each school year brings two competitions- state and international. We help to prepare you to feel more confident in your presentation skills and know what the judges expect. We do fun things as well! We tailgate, have a bbq, do a community service project, and have holiday themed meetings. Our advisors are Professor LeGrand and Dr. Youn, who teach a lot of the business classes at SEMO. They come to know you through DECA, which is a great resource for recommendation letters! DECA is also a great way to meet other business students at SEMO that are likely in your classes. It allows you to create a professional network that will be essential for after graduation.
How do you compete?
There are many ways you can compete. The most popular is by doing a mock roleplay with a case study given to you. You can do this with a teammate or by yourself. You are given the case study at the time of competition, have a set time to prepare, and present to a business professional. The top three of each category receives trophies. At international competition, some events come with scholarships and job offers.
The other way to compete is by doing a prepared presentation. These range from presenting a PowerPoint to writing a business plan. You prepare your competition beforehand according to the given prompt and present it to a business professional. If you place in the top 5 for Missouri competition in your category, you advance to international competition.
There are multiple categories that you can choose to compete in, but they all fall under Finance, Marketing, Management, or Hospitality. Collegiate DECA of SEMO students typically do very well at competition; the majority of our students advance to internationals.
Where do you travel?
How will it help me?
Why should I join?
State competition is always held in Lake of the Ozarks. It happens on a Thursday and Friday in February. We carpool there and stay in the Lodge of the Four Seasons, where the competition is hosted. International competition is longer and usually occurs over 4 days in April. For 2023, international competition will be held in Orlando, Florida. We will fly there and stay in the hotel where the competition is hosted. When you are not competing, you are free to do whatever you want. This past year, our DECA students travelled over to Washington D.C. after their competitions were over in Baltimore. There is plenty of time to make it into Disney Word or Orlando Studios this year!
"DECA is an excellent opportunity to expand your professional network, get more practice in your future career field, and make lots of lasting memories. The best way to do college is by being fully immersed, and DECA will help you accomplish that!"- Heather
DECA is a great club that will put you together with other people that are all in the same boat as you. It's a great way to start networking. But most of all, it's a very fun club to be a part of."- Spencer
"Joining DECA was one of the best decisions I have made. It has opened up many doors to network and has helped me gain valuable skills that I will be able to use in my near future!"- Blake
"DECA is a fantastic organization! During my time with our Collegiate DECA team, I have practiced many skills that I hope to leverage throughout my professional career. Some notable ones being sales, management, marketing, networking, and more! I would highly recommend DECA to anyone!"- Ernesto
"You should join DECA because it gives you new opportunities and experiences!"- Elisabeth
"DECA is great for the experience! You can practice being creative in a low risk environment, and the trips are so fun!"-Connor
Hear from our exec!
DECA is an internationally recognized organization. This will help you when applying for jobs because the chances of your employer knowing what DECA is is high. It looks excellent on a resume, but it goes beyond the paper. The skills you learn from DECA are irreplaceable and essential. Your work from competitions can be added to your portfolio to show potential employers. Even if you are not a business major, joining DECA will help to improve your critical thinking and presentation skills. There are also leadership opportunities to grow your skills even further. Overall, it's a fun way to feel more prepared for your future.
IMPORTANT DATES
FIRST MEETING
Wednesday, September 7th at 12:30 in Dempster 125
All meetings thereafter will be every other Wednesday at 12:30
DECA CHALLENGE
Informational- September 14th at 12:30 in Dempster 125
Compete- September 22nd or 23rd in Dempster 124
DUES REQUIRED
September 28th- date set by nationals ($40)
We can be flexible!
State funds- TBD