After competing at the Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) district competition, six St. James High School students are advancing to the State Career Development Conference in March.

Only the top three students in each category at districts can move on to the statewide competition, which will take place in Kansas City. 

DECA is a co-curricular that prepares students for careers in marketing, management, finance and hospitality. Only students enrolled in business or marketing classes at the school are allowed to take part.

Keiran Goodridge placed first in the Business Finance Series and second in the Marketing Communications Series. Goodridge has made it to the state competition all four years of high school.

Another multi-year competitor, Broc Parsons, advanced in the Food Marketing Series.

In their first year of DECA, Ariana Grate and Lily Bahr have already qualified for state competition. Grate placed third in Principles of Finance, while Bahr and her partner, Johnny Perkins, earned second place in the Community Giving Project. Perkins, a second-year member, will also make his state debut after placing third in Entrepreneurship.

Gabriel Adams, also a second-year member who is attending the state competition for the first time, advanced in the Retail Merchandise Series.

“I love being able to see them go from districts to state, taking it to the next level and kind of fine-tuning those skills,” DECA advisor Jordan Hance said.

Students take a 100-question test beforehand, which factors into their score. At the competition, most events involve a role-play business scenario where students have 10 minutes to create a solution and present their response to a judge.

“The only preparation you can do is practicing different scenarios, but they don’t know what scenario they’re going to get,” Hance said.

Other events are prepared, which require a written project and presentation to a judge during the competition. Bahr and Perkins’ Community Giving Project fell under this category. They were tasked with raising funds or collecting donations to be given to a cause or charity.

The pair planned and ran a volleyball tournament at the school, raising funds through business sponsors who donated to the school counselors. Funds were used to buy Christmas presents for high schoolers in need.

Students who place in the top 10 at the state competition will have the opportunity to travel to Atlanta, Ga., for nationals.

Hance, who is in her third year of being a DECA advisor, said she’s watched many of her students build their confidence through the organization and learn to become leaders.

“I tell them, yes, these are competitions, but the point of it is to better yourself,” Hance said. “So I tell them, even if you’re nervous, at some point, you have to do interviews, or you have to be able to talk to people in whatever career path you go in. So this just gives them the opportunity to practice those skills.”