Making the Most of Your Time in DECA by President Matthew

​Making the Most of Your Time in DECA
I realize now that I’m going to sound like every senior who talks about leaving high school, but everyone says it because it’s true: it files by. Even if you’re only a freshman now, it won’t be long before you’re a senior getting ready to graduate. I know you probably don’t, but just trust me. With that in mind, it’s easy to see why you have to work to make the most of your time in DECA. For general tips, check out my video blog. This is going to be about my time in DECA and what I’ve done, and hopefully you’ll be able to get some ideas.
I’d like to point out now that I’m not trying to say this is the best way to spend your time in DECA. This is just what I’ve done, and what I’ve thought about it all, so you can avoid the mistakes I made, and triumph where I’ve triumphed.
My biggest mistake in DECA was my first semester of my freshman year. I didn’t participate at all. Many people are guilty of this as well and that’s okay, you can definitely recover. You probably aren’t reading this if you’re not very involved in DECA, but on the off chance I just described you, get involved. I can’t emphasize enough how great an impact DECA can have on your life.
By my second semester of freshman year, I loved competing and started to get more involved in my chapter’s socials, meetings, and service events. If you’re hesitant about diving in head first (there’s no reason to be but I was before too), then those are great examples of how to get likely involved. Once you start those little things, you’ll be hooked.
After getting a lot more involved by the end of my freshman year, I decided to run for chapter office. That’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I’d never trade the experiences I had working with my team, getting to know my advisor, and making a difference at my school. It only took a few months before I realized I wanted to go even deeper into the organization and run for association office.
This may not be the case for everyone, but for me, running for office was the best decision I made. Yes, there were hundreds of hours put into my campaign, yes there were dozens of late nights, and yes there was an incredible amount of stress, but it was all well worth it. I’ve learned and grown so much, and I’ll carry the memories with me forever. That applies to any position you end up holding in DECA. If you give it your all, you’ll have incredible experiences and it will be well worth all the hard times.

After that, my DECA story gets pretty boring. I’ve been an association officer for two years, and in that time I’ve tried to make the most of every opportunity. Regardless of what you do in DECA, I encourage you to do the same. Again I’d like to emphasize that this blog isn’t a guide. The decisions I’ve made in DECA worked out for the best for me, but I’m sure there’s a path that’s perfect for you. DECA has LIMITLESS opportunities. All you have to do is decide what opportunities you’re going to take advantage of.