Eight DECA members will compete at the state conference in Dallas held next Wednesday to Friday, where qualifiers will advance to the international competition.

“DECA has almost 210,000 members worldwide,” DECA Advisor Jacqueline Hollowell said.

This non-profit student organization prepares students for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality and management in high schools and colleges worldwide.

“There are 11 DECA districts in Texas and each holds their own district-level competition,” Mrs. Hollowell said. “Districts are made up of several counties within a close proximity to each other.”

The state qualifiers this year are members Mattea Jones, Ashlyn Stavinoha, Mikaela Dapremont, Valerie Hernandez, Lakshmi Kunam, Nivi Srinivasa, Ashleigh Abusomwam and Annaliese Johnson.

“I am competing in the advertising campaign,” Dapremont said. “I have prepared by doing an immense amount of research over Sprinkles Cupcakes, the company I chose to advertise.”

Mandatory practices are set up before competition, and students are required to attend a certain number of them for preparation.

“The Student Learning Hub has practice tests and example role plays from previous DECA years,” Johnson said. “Traveling has prepared me for DECA, experiencing other countries and places were the biggest contributor to my studying and learning.”

Those that qualify after next weekend’s competition will compete at the International Career Development Conference in Orlando, FL at the end of April.