The members of FHN DECA competed at state on Mar. 15-17 held at the Lodge of Four Seasons at the Lake of the Ozarks. Twenty DECA students from Francis Howell North qualified because they placed in the top six of their respective categories at regionals.
“My favorite part was meeting a bunch of new people from all over Missouri and gaining experience in a business environment which I wouldn’t have gotten in a school setting,” junior David Hood said. Hood placed second in the retail merchandising category, allowing him to qualify for nationals.
According to Hood, DECA members prepared for state by watching instructional videos, reading articles on how to perform well in a role play and by taking practice tests on the DECA website. On the first day at state the opening session is held, on the second day is the competition itself, and the third day is when they say who placed. Ten FHN DECA members placed at state and will move on to Nationals.
“My favorite part was meeting and interacting with students from all around the state, as well as just the luxury of staying lakefront at Camden on the lake, which was beautiful,” said Junior Anthony Lupo.
The next upcoming event for DECA is the International Career Development Conference in Orlando. 10 of the 20 students who went to state get to go and compete at an international level.
