Juniors Helena Gabriel and Michael Strein competed and placed in the Virginia DECA State Leadership Conference in Virginia Beach, Virginia, where hundreds of students in DECA from around Virginia go to compete in various business events.

     One week before the deadline, unsure of what they would be competing in or if they would even enjoy it, juniors Michael Strein and Helena Gabriel signed up to compete in the Virginia DECA State Leadership Conference (SLC). “We jumped in last-minute without much prior experience, but once we got into it, we prepared a lot and really got invested in it,” said Strein. 

    Both Strein and Gabriel had no prior experience in DECA. Previously, DECA was only available to students taking a business or marketing class, however the policy changed this school year. “When I found out this year that anyone could join DECA and compete, I was super excited,” said Gabriel.

     The duo competed in a partner event called Business Law & Ethics Team Decision Making (BLTDM). “This event involves analyzing legal and ethical business scenarios, then presenting solutions to a judge,” said Gabriel. 

    The pair had to analyze a business scenario involving legal and ethical issues and present a solution to a judge. The case study could cover topics like contract law, intellectual property, employee rights, corporate ethics, or regulatory compliance. “Our goal is to evaluate the situation, propose a well-reasoned solution, and communicate it effectively, just like professionals would in the real world,” said Strein.

    After signing up to compete in the VA DECA SLC, the pair had to begin preparations almost immediately, as they wanted to do well and qualify for internationals (ICDC). “We mainly watched and practiced roleplays daily by simulating a real competition environment,” said Strein.

    Roleplays are simulated business scenarios where competitors take on the role of business professionals and present solutions to a judge, who acts as a company representative or stakeholder. “For BLTDM, our role plays involved analyzing legal and ethical challenges in a business setting and presenting a solution to a judge,” said Gabriel.

    On Friday February 28, the pair left to go compete at the VA DECA SLC, after preparing almost every day in hopes of winning their event. “I was excited to go, but also super nervous. I wanted our hard work to pay off so we could go to ICDC,” said Gabriel. 

    To qualify for ICDC, the pair had to place in the top 8 competitors in their event, proving to be a difficult feat, as the VA DECA SLC includes students from all around Virginia, aiming for the same goal.

    The next day, the duo competed in their event and placed fourth out of all the other teams, qualifying them for ICDC. “Qualifying for ICDC, in only our first year competing, was so cool. It proved that all of our preparation and hard work paid off,” said Strein.

    Gabriel and Strein will be attending ICDC in Orlando, Florida, from April 26 to April 29 alongside 23,000 other high school students, teacher-advisors, business professionals and alumni. “I’m proud of how far we’ve made it, and we’re definitely going to keep preparing and try to place at ICDC,” said Gabriel.