With lots of clubs available for high school students to join to develop leadership skills, many students are choosing to participate in Distributive Education Clubs of America or DECA, as it is more commonly known.

Students in DECA work on marketing, finance, hospitality, and management skills, growing their knowledge of the business world, and gaining knowledge about entrepreneurship.

“DECA is a student-led organization that prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management,” DECA Advisor Brad Bishop said.

Students do not need any prior knowledge in the business world to join DECA. 

“The desire to take a deeper dive into the world of business [is all you need in order to be a part of this club,]” Bishop said.

DECA has been in action, recently completing their Regional event, where all teams advanced to state, with 20 members going to Chattanooga from March 8-11. 

“If teams place there, they will qualify for ICDC which is an international competition in April,” Bishop said.

DECA will continue as Hillwood transitions into James Lawson High, so it’s not too late to be a part of it.

“We are really excited about what the future holds for DECA at James Lawson. We have spent the last three years growing the club and are finally ready to organize the club to make sure we meet the needs of both students that want to compete and those who just want to increase their business knowledge,” Bishop said.

DECA is the perfect fit for a student with the desire to want to know more about business.

“DECA gives each member the chance to experience real world business situations without the pressure. We have had numerous DECA members who used their DECA experience to help plan what comes next after high school,” Bishop said.