On Oct. 16 and 17, select members of FHN DECA will be attending a leadership conference in Ozark, Missouri, where they will get the opportunity to improve their leadership skills and meet other students and industry leaders from across the state. DECA is a business and marketing club that students can join if they are enrolled in a Marketing 1 or Marketing 2 class. In DECA students meet about once a month and attend business events throughout the year. The advisors for DECA at FHN are three business teachers; Melissa Trochim, Mike Freedline, and Lori Moore.

“In DECA you get to attend business events, and learn if you want to work in business or even own your own business one day,” DECA member Laraya Griffith said.

The conference will begin with a large opening ceremony that all members of Missouri DECA will attend. Following the opening ceremony, the DECA members will split up into groups, attend breakout sessions and seminars that talk about all the different aspects of a business and everything people need to know about working in business. Students will listen to speeches given by motivational speakers and participate in networking activities. Along with the seminars, the students have some free time, and get to partake in fun activities that the conference hosts put on, including a dance. To wrap up the conference, there is a closing ceremony similar to the opening ceremony.

“My favorite part of the conference is the opening and closing ceremony,” said DECA president Nic Savala. “It’s cool to get to see all the people in Missouri DECA.”

Members of DECA hope to come out of the conference with better-developed leadership skills and a higher sense of camaraderie . The advisors are excited to give the DECA members the opportunity to learn more about business and to meet other DECA members from schools in the area.

“I hope they are able to come back to FHN with some ideas they received from networking with others and be able to share those ideas with our members,” said Trochim.