With more than 200,000 student members around the globe, Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) is an organization where students are exposed to business concepts that prepare them for college and future careers. Emerging business leaders in the world are given a chance to get a glimpse of what the business industry offers.

The DECA program at Cherry Hill High School East allows students to explore their passion for business and get to know about careers in marketing, finance, entrepreneurship and more.

Students possess the ability to advance through regional, state and national competitions by applying what they learn in the classroom to role-play and case-study scenarios. DECA students can select between a variety of business categories, including individual, partner, principles and prepared events. As students work to advance through regionals, states and nationals, they have the chance to not only learn more about the business world, but also to connect with other people with common goals. This year, DECA regionals will be hosted on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024; those who qualify in regionals and states are eligible to compete in DECA nationals in Anaheim, California.

In order to participate in DECA at East, students are required to be enrolled in a half-semester or full-year business course, excluding Financial Literacy. The club offers preparatory meetings for newcomers, as well as practice sessions leading up to DECA events. The leadership board at East also helps to welcome new and returning members and offers their personal advice.

Mrs. Leanne Shine, one of the DECA advisors at East alongside Mrs. Evelyn Minutolo and Mr. Gregory deWolf, has taught business classes for seven years and has been overseeing the DECA program for six.

“I love that we have leadership teams this year that are really, basically helping the underclassmen understand what to expect. Rather than [the teachers] having to explain it over and over again, students can hear from their peers what they’ve gotten out of it [and] what they like about it,” said Shine.

As a business teacher, Shine loves what DECA offers the students at East. She emphasizes the sense of community and the strong bonds that are formed between the DECA members each year. She says that it is incredible to see her students thrive and work together to achieve their goals.

“I would say what students get out of it more than anything else is meeting new people that have a common interest, and I think that’s really important in high school,” said Shine. She proceeds to say that she “loves how much the kids love it…and seeing how ecstatic [the] students were for each other when they won was just so amazing as a teacher to see.”

Overall, DECA provides students with opportunities to demonstrate real-world skills through innovative challenges and immersive business experiences.