STUDENT COMPETITION
WNY students get down to business during annual DECA competition
LEWISTON — The 587 students gathered at Lewiston-Porter High School on Sunday morning looked like they were ready for job interviews.
Nervous teenagers dressed in navy blazers, ties, scarves and crisp dress shirts fielded questions on subjects like accounting, human resources and law.
They are years away from professional careers. But these students — all members of the high school business and marketing club known as DECA — have seen real-world examples of the highs and lows of the economy during their school years.
Those lessons have helped prepare them to become the next generation of business leaders.
“I think because of our own experience here, we have a better chance of getting a job,” said Steve Marchitte, a 17-year-old West Seneca West senior who serves as regional president for the Distributive Education Clubs of America.
Steve just returned from a trip to the Chicago Mercantile Exchange with his school’s Finance Academy and is planning a career as a financial adviser. Recent stock market turmoil has convinced Steve that financial advisers will only continue to be more necessary in the future.
Students like Steve from 14 schools in Erie and Niagara counties gathered Sunday for DECA’s annual business and marketing competition. They spent a portion of their day answering a 100-question multiple choice test. They also took part in role-playing activities in a variety of marketing and management categories such as business law and ethics, public speaking, advertising and sales demonstrations. The winners advance to a state competition in Rochester.
DECA students who participated Sunday were judged not only on their knowledge, but also the “soft skills” necessary to succeed in the business world, such as proper attire, public speaking and punctuality, said Lewiston-Porter DECA adviser Nicole Alonzo.
“It shows the students what they’re doing right now is going to affect them in the real world,” said Joseph Lauricella, a 16-year-old Depew High School junior who had a hand in organizing Sunday’s competition as the group’s regional director of competitive events. “This is a direct channel for them to succeed.”
Williamsville North High School senior Caileen McNally, 18, is already preparing for that success. She plans to pursue a dual major in biology and business next year at Walsh University before applying to medical school at the National University of Ireland. Two weeks ago, she opened up a Roth Individual Retirement Account.
She is taking the long view on the economy.
“It’s in a cycle,” she said. “It can’t go anywhere but up right now.”
The students have time on their side when it comes to entering the career market, but several competitors said a more pressing concern is how the credit crunch will affect access to student loans.
“That’s definitely going to impact some people’s choices as to where they go,” said Nick Buscaglia, a 15-year-old sophomore from Lancaster High School.
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