International Career Development Conference

On Friday, April 25th, we left for the DECA International Career Development Conference in Orlando, Florida. DECA is a club that has granted me so many opportunities, and I am beyond grateful for the experience. DECA prepares you in so many ways, whether you are going into the marketing, hospitality, finance, entrepreneurship, or management field. Even if you are not going into these fields, you learn how to be confident and master communication skills. 

If you are competing, you would present your solution for your given scenario to a judge in your category. If you end up placing in the top two within your section, you become a finalist. I think it’s a fascinating competition that gives people the opportunity to step out of their comfort zones and explore the immense potential they have within themselves. The ultimate goal that everyone wants to achieve is to win the DECA glass, which is an award indicating that you are essentially the winner or one of the best in the program. 

As for Somerset Berkley, Ian Foulds, Hunter Pearson, and I attended the conference to gain leadership skills and expand our knowledge. We attended the Elevate conferences, which is one of the leadership programs at ICDC that is designed to develop and empower upcoming chapter leaders. I found it very beneficial, and I know it will help me serve my chapter more effectively in the upcoming year. 

Overall, the experience was incredible. I met so many people from different chapters all around the world and I had a lot of fun. There is so much diversity in the world and hearing from all kinds of people who have the same interests as me was a life-changing experience. There’s a tradition at ICDC where you trade pins with people from different states and countries in order to collect as many different kinds of pins as you can. That is another fun memory I will cherish forever. 

During my time in Orlando, I roomed with Olivia Raia, Iman El-Hilali, and Elif Koparan from Dover-Sherborn, and by the end of the trip I gained three new friendships. I also had an amazing time with Max Arroyo and Bella Kuznitz from Stoughton High School. I want to thank Mr. Melo and Ms. Burniston for making this trip possible. Ms. Burniston is one of the best advisors and I wouldn’t have wanted to do this with anyone else. I am also glad that Ian and Hunter, who are two of my favorite seniors, were able to come along. DECA is not going to be the same without them next year, but I intend to carry out the best work possible for next year’s incoming DECA members. 

Now let’s change perspectives and see what Ian and Hunter have to say about the trip. Hunter said, “ICDC is an awesome experience. First of all, you get to meet so many people and network. You just make so many connections that you would have never otherwise made from countries across the world and states right next to you. It’s super awesome; you find kids you have so many interests with and people who are so different from you. The different competitions and workshops really do give you a lot of knowledge. In the Exhibitor Hall, you get to meet a lot of people and get some internship opportunities, scholarships, colleges and all that stuff is right there. And obviously, the theme parks and then going to have fun with your chapter and other people is also a huge benefit. So I think ICDC as a whole is a great experience that really honestly made my high school journey infinitely better.” Ian said, “I think both years of ICDC were great and both were filled with lots of knowledge and different connections. Competing definitely holds a warm place in my heart because you get to meet so many judges and professionals who are guiding and helping you. You really get to explore the depths of the career interests you have and the cluster you’re in, I feel like that’s very beneficial. Competing in the leadership conference, you really gain knowledge of how to lead your chapter as a whole, be a leader, and stand out in the crowd. I think that’s really going to help me and my career since I’m going into business. I think ICDC as a whole just really prepares you for what you’re going into and how you’re going to manage yourself in the real world.” 

Both Ian and Hunter said that beautifully, and I couldn’t agree with them more. If you have never done DECA, I highly recommend it and I guarantee you will gain something from it. Now that’s a wrap for DECA 2024-2025 and I can’t wait to see the new experiences that awaits me next year.