JOEL MATHEW, Contributing Writer
North Brunswick prides itself on giving students chances to explore what career they want to pursue, providing them the opportunity to learn more about a certain field and to have the proper community to help them grow. DECA, a 501 not-for-profit career and technical student organization, is one of the many organizations cooperating with NBTHS to provide students with the opportunity to flourish in various fields and skill sets. And recently in the New Year, NBTHS had their first meet this month.
The meets and competitions go up against other schools that revolve around certain topics, varying from politics to business, to any field found in a real-world society. The goal is to provide students with the experience of taking a few steps into society to get a feel of what life holds in store for them. Steven Biju George (Senior), a member of DECA, last year’s regional winner in Professional Selling, and finalist at the ICDC Nationals states, “It provides you with skills which can help you in any career regardless if it is business based or not.”
DECA provides a ton of opportunities at the meets to meet up with new people from other schools and just within the club at NBTHS as well. Sachi Shah (Freshman), member and competitor, states in response to how the first meet recently went and her personal experience of her first time competing, “It was a nice experience to be able to hang out with students from other schools and get the chance to participate in the meet alongside my friends.”
The meet had gone well with a lot of students qualifying for states. There are different categories for which students can compete and qualify, something which is similar to what Sunehri Parekh (Freshman), member and competitor, said, “Be prepared for the different types of challenges.” There are a lot of expectations and chances this year for those who could potentially qualify for nationals in California. Tyler Yin (Senior), a member of the board and school store manager, who holds a lot of expectations for this year states, “Opportunities are everywhere, keep searching and you will find something great.”
DECA provides these chances for the students, letting them seize the opportunity to figure out what they want to specialize in, while also providing general skills such as communication, collaboration, creativity, and others. Shah elaborates on this as she says, “Do whatever you feel is right.” Also, George, in agreement, states, “Definitely know you will walk away with skills you can use in any career.”
In conclusion, DECA is a wonderful opportunity for anyone who wants to join to be able to get a chance to network with others and gain skills to help you in relatively any field. As Yin says, “It’s an unforgettable experience to network and work with others. It’s a great experience and anyone should join DECA to learn about professionalism and other life skills.” Alongside that Parekh also says, “Live, Laugh, Love DECA.” And finally, George concludes with, "It's not the club or the competition, but the friends and experience you gain along the way."
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