DECA, the Verona High School chapter of the Distributive Education Clubs Of America, has begun its competition season.
The club’s goal is to prepare students to be business leaders and entrepreneurs in fields such as marketing, finance, hospitality and management. The students participate in competitions that test their knowledge of everything from the principles of business management to sports and entertainment marketing.
On January 10, Verona’s 27 DECA members went to Middlesex County College to take a 100-question exam on some aspect of marketing, business or accounting, and participate in one or two role-playing exercises in their area of expertise. Verona’s DECA team is comprised of seasoned competitors like President Gopi Patolia and Nic Freschi. There were also freshman competitors such as Jeremy Yenko, Matt Rubins, and Michael Coppola. Verona DECA competed in marketing communications, automotive marketing services, professional sales, hotel and lodging, quick service marketing and many more areas.
“All of our competitors have a singular goal,” says DECA faculty advisor Joel Throne, “and that is to make it to the state competition; then, from there to represent the state of New Jersey and Verona DECA at the International Career Competition in Orlando, Florida.”
DECA’s annual fundraiser on Thursday, January 27, will again feature comedy hypnotist Skylr. The fun starts at 7 p.m.
