There's No Stopping Our Bachelor of Commerce DECA-U Chapter
This past week, the Humber DECA-U chapter competed in Ryerson’s “Evolve” Conference, where Business students Jason Gool and Margarita Bader came in second place in the Marketing Management category. The Ryerson Invitational marks the sixth DECA Competition the Humber chapter has been a part of since September. The other competitions include:
- DECA-U Fall Launch, hosted by DECA-U at Deloitte Tower
- McMaster's DECA U “Think BIG” Conference
- York's DECA “Sharpen Your Skills” Conference
- Carleton's DECA “Purpose” Conference
- Queen’s DECA Conference
Bachelor of Commerce DECA-U Chapter Wins
In addition to the Ryerson win, the Humber DECA chapter placed in a number of categories at the York and Carleton Invitationals. At York, MJ Tullo placed first in the Retail Marketing category and Muhammad Hannad Ahsan placed second in the Human Resources Management category. At the Carleton Invitational, Harshil Pambhar and Sergiy Fomin placed first in the International Business Management category.
The Training Process
The road to these competitions isn't easy. Just ask the Humber Chapter DECA co-presidents Sergiy Formin, a Bachelor of Commerce: International Business student, and Tori Salton, a Bachelor of Commerce: Finance student. They both acknowledge there is an extensive amount of training and studying that must be done before each competition. Team members meet in their spare time to go over past competition cases and review lessons they learned in class. Of course, Business School professors are on hand, offering students practical advice and instilling them with the confidence and determination to do their best at the competition.
A Family Dynamic
When spending so much time studying with fellow students like the Humber DECA Chapter does throughout the school year, a strong bond starts to form between teammates. To Tori Salton, this family dynamic is one of the best parts of the DECA experience: "Humber DECA fosters personal, professional and academic growth through utilizing equal opportunity, community and unity within the chapter. We strive towards creating a family dynamic within the business school that allows every student to feel warmly welcomed and ready to learn about critical thinking, business leadership, team dynamics and problem-solving skills."
More Than A Competition
But the DECA-U Invitationals are not only just about the competition. The spirit and atmosphere of DECA is so much more than that. “It’s a very good environment that promotes critical and fast thinking,” says Sergiy “These competitions are very good place to network and make connections with industry professionals. Usually students from various universities and colleges attend such competitions and it’s very good to talk to students from other educational institutions.” Breakfasts, dinners and bar nights are also organized during the DECA weekend, allowing the student competitors to relax, make new friends and have a good time with like-minded people
Real-World Training
The competitions themselves are also a great opportunity for students to prepare themselves for life after graduation. As Sergiy explains, “These competitions are very unique in their nature. During the presentation time, a delegate has to pitch their idea to an industry professional from a respected field. It can be nerve-wracking, but that’s why they are so helpful. Not only do students learn how to apply the information they've learned in class, but they also practice pitching it to a real industry professional. This really comes in handy when a student will be interviewed for a job.”
The Rush of Winning
Gaining experience is all well and good, but who doesn’t love the rush of winning? Of hearing your name being called for the first place prize, followed by cheer of the audience and your teammates. Nothing comes close to this feeling, Sergiy explains. But the elation comes from more than just the feeling of winning - it’s knowing that all of your hard work has paid off. It’s an extremely empowering feeling that gives students a boost of confidence. That’s the real magic of the DECA competitions - it compels students to go farther, work harder and be all they can be.
Congratulations to the Humber DECA-U chapter and good luck this January at the Provincials.