By Judith Dorato O’Gara

Holliston High School’s DECA (Distributive Education Clubs of America) chapter performed exceptionally well at the recent DECA District Conference in Mansfield on January 8th and 9th, with 39 out of 115 participating students earning awards and qualifying for the Massachusetts State Career Development Conference (SCDC) this March in Boston. The team’s success spanned the entire spectrum of the business world, with students competing against 16 other cities and towns and earning top honors across all four DECA pillars:

Sanika Javali and Xuanye Zhang are among students gaining valuable business skills in Holliston High School’s DECA program.

 

• Marketing: Crafting strategic brand narratives.

• Finance: Demonstrating elite financial literacy and accounting skills.

• Hospitality & Tourism: Excelling in management and service excellence.

• Entrepreneurship: Pitching innovative solutions for the modern economy.

“To see our students excel across such a diverse range of categories is a testament to their versatility,” said Bob Tivnan, DECA Advisor. “The fact that over a third of our team qualified for States—led by 11 first-place champions—speaks volumes about the hard work they’ve put in since the start of the year.”

Holliston High School junior and Chapter Vice-President Rishida Mitra is one of those first-place winners. She and Chapter President Steven Lima secured first-place finishes in the most rigorous path to qualification, the Comprehensive Written Paper, which requires extensive time and research. Mitra conducted fundraising, social media outreach, website design and some administrative work for the Neshlyn Children’s Foundation. Her written paper ranked first in the district competition’s Business Solutions category.

Mitra , who joined DECA as a freshman, explains the club has helped her develop professional skills, helping her answer such questions as, “How do you want to present yourself externally outside of school … how do you express your thoughts professionally, (come) up with a presentation or (think) on the spot,” she explains. 

Mark Freeman, DECA advisor, explains students “not only did a lot of studying on their own, but they also participated in a mock competition, in which local business leaders and retirees in the community participated as judges.”

“DECA is a club that brings you so much closer to both your peers as well as several of the adults who monitor the competitions,” says student participant Rishida Mitra.

Freeman is impressed with the support DECA students give each other. 

 “When you look at some high school organizations, you end up with a lot of kids that are the same, because they have the same interests. You get a lot more diversity in personalities across this sort of competition, and they’re all getting along and supporting each other from every different group in the high school,” he says.

Mitra, who hopes to be one of the top six from states this year to qualify for the international competition, says students get ideas from giving and receiving feedback as they mock role-play. She also values the guidance she has gotten from club advisors and professional adults who monitor the competition, describing the networking opportunities as “beyond.”

“DECA is a club that brings you so much closer to both your peers as well as several of the adults who monitor the competitions. I’ve had judges at district and state levels that have provided so much helpful feedback I can use,” she says.

“It can be challenging for these kids to be talking to adults,” says Freeman. The experience, he says, will equip the students with a lifelong ability to network and think on their feet.

“These skills help them no matter if they’re going to become a plumber, electrician, doctor or attorney,” says Freeman, “No matter what their career is, the skills they learn in this organization carry forward for them.”

Freeman is impressed with the support DECA students give each other. He’s optimistic at their prospects.

“They cheer each other on,” he says, “When you look at some high school organizations, you end up with a lot of kids that are the same, because they have the same interests. You get a lot more diversity in personalities across this sort of competition, and they’re all getting along and supporting each other from every different group in the high school.”

Among the 39 qualifiers heading to Boston in March, those who place at the state level will earn a spot at the International Career Development Conference (ICDC) in Atlanta, Georgia April 25-29.

HHS DECA students’ next challenge will be to raise funds to head to the state competition, and, hopefully, the international competition.