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unlvdeca

UNLV Collegiate DECA Hosts Competition Academy 960 640 huynhr

UNLV Collegiate DECA Hosts Competition Academy

By Cecilia Yau

On December 4th, 2015, UNLV Collegiate DECA hosted its 2nd annual Competition Academy for high school DECA students in the Las Vegas area to attend.

The competition academy is a place where students who are new to high school DECA can come to learn about competitions, get competition tips, and have a chance to try a mock case study or business stimulation in front of a real judge.

For many high school DECA students, the competition academy will be the first opportunity to develop their skills for the state conference and beyond.

After months of planning from the Competition Academy Committee, the event was a success. Over 80 local high school students attended and 12 local business professionals offered their time to act as judges and mentors for the  program.

Students from UNLV DECA and CSN DECA also volunteered their time and gained experience learning how to run a competitive event of this size.

At 8:30 a.m., UNLV DECA President Randy Huynh officially opened the ceremony, though volunteers had started setting up several hours before.

After the ceremony, Nevada DECA State Director Curtis Haley ran the students through a training session where they all learned how to get through a case study. For many, this was the first time they had such an experience.

At noon, their hard work was payed off with lunch and the opportunity to interact with UNLV DECA members.

Over the next three hours, the students tested their newly acquired skills during the competition session with judges from various local industries. The judges provided feedback to students after the scores were compiled.

To close the day, students with high enough scores were given medals at the award ceremony.

UNLV DECA had a blast hosting the 100+ students, advisors, and judges on our campus. We hope that the students excel in their state competition next month and return next year for our 3rd annual Competition Academy!

8 Million Things I Learned at DECA CLA 150 150 huynhr

8 Million Things I Learned at DECA CLA

By: Blaze Lovell

The Big Apple isn’t just a gathering center for advertisers and media giants. People from various backgrounds around the world come to live, work, and play in New York City. There isn’t a better place to DECA Epic!

1) Take it in!

From Broadway plays to multiple sporting events and venues to the various landmarks spread across the five boroughs, New York City may appeal to anyone’s interests. Besides viewing and visiting all the city has to offer, take advantage of the network opportunities. Every DECA conference provides them, but not in a business metropolis on the scale of New York. Immersing yourself in the culture with other like minded individuals is rewarding experience. When in Rome…

2) Cheap food

What’s a DECA team to do with just 7 minutes left until the next train and no food? Sprint to the nearest Pizza stand! For just $3 ($1 in some places) you can find a pizza slice bigger than your face. Street vendors with $1 hotdogs and kabobs do exist. Look past the chain restaurants and fancy hotel eateries, opting for locally owned delicatessens and vendors.

3) Not everyone is rude

The movies make it look like the entire population of Manhattan is in a rush and disregards basic decency and manners. Yes, people will bump into you and not say sorry, but they are also trying to navigate through an area of 22 square miles with more people than the entire population of Rhode Island. Residents still hold open the door for you and give you directions when you inevitably get lost. People may have different mannerisms in certain cities, but at the core, we’re all the same.

4) Be on DECA Time (sometimes)

Remember that DECA team that got pizza? Well, they missed their train. The next one brought a surprise, however. A flash mob of break dancers astonished the riders on the train bound for the Bronx. This doesn’t mean you should miss important appointments, but in the words of Ferris Bueller, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

Maybe that wasn’t quite 8 million things. If you want to learn more, visit NYC for yourself and see its population of over 8 million. Remember, everyone has something to offer. Every person is an opportunity to learn.

What’s Beyond Collegiate DECA? 960 547 huynhr

What’s Beyond Collegiate DECA?

By: Randolph Huynh

Many college students who join Collegiate DECA (especially former DECA members from the high school division) believe that DECA is about competing in business competitive events. Competing is an amazing experience and being able to achieve “International Finalist” or “International Champion” is an honor that many DECA students, both in high school and and in the collegiate division, yearn to achieve. However, that is only a small part of being a Collegiate DECA member.

The main goal of being involved in Collegiate DECA is to build 21st century skills that can be applied to any industry you are, or want to be, involved with.

An article by the huffington post noted that 45 percent of college graduates aren’t working in jobs that fits with their bachelor degrees. So why are college graduates not getting the jobs they’re majoring in? The Washington Post noted three skills that are lacking from college graduates.

  • Lack of problem solving
  • Lack of decision making skills
  • Lack of basic talking skills

A good habit that Collegiate DECA members learn is to be on “DECA time”, which means arriving 15 minutes early. It’s a standard practice that impresses many people because being on time means you’re late. In UNLV DECA, you will definitely learn business skills that are essential to being a standout for any industry.

The workforce is becoming very competitive, especially in the Hospitality and Business industry. So how can Collegiate DECA make you become a standout?

Collegiate DECA’s core focus is: Competence, Integrity, Innovation, and Teamwork. Students who are involved in Collegiate DECA member will build essential skills from three areas:

  1. Lead
  2. Serve
  3. Advocate

Lead

The best way to learn how to be a leader is to simply just do it. One way to gain leadership experience at UNLV DECA is to join a committee. Every year, UNLV DECA officers are responsible for creating an action plan for different projects that will be executed by committees. What’s shocking to many people about UNLV DECA’s committees is that we start from the ground up. With a budget of $0, members in the committees learn how we can run a project that costs over $3,000. Members who are involved with committees will learn how to:

  • Find different resources and reach out to the community to fund the project
  • Collaborate with a diverse student group
  • Be accountable  
  • Be able to adapt and figure out solutions to unexpected challenges

Members who are involved with committees will have an easier time learning how to collaborate and work in teams.

Serve

Serving is a major part of the learning experience that UNLV DECA provides. In order to lead, you must first learn to serve. 

Advocate

On the national level, DECA is over 70 years old. It is the responsibility of its members to ensure that its legacy carries on for years more. Whenever you wear the DECA pin or wear the DECA shirt, you ARE DECA. Members are given opportunities to attend various community events and networking. At these events member learn how to:

  • Network with business professionals
  • Present their image
  • Build business relationships

Being active in Collegiate DECA leads to building these essential, 21st century business skills that can be applied to any industry. Having these skills also makes you a standout. If you want to know what is the end product of being a Collegiate DECA member, take a look at some of our distinguished UNLV DECA members.

Dyan Baguio – Went through the selective MGM International Internship Program and was offered a position at MGM International.

Nicholas Huynh – Accepted four job offers with different businesses without showing a resume.

Daniel Dinev – Became the first Nevada Collegiate DECA ICDC champion.

These are just some of the members who received unique experiences and opportunities through UNLV DECA. Now it’s your time to see what kind of journey you will have in the world of Collegiate DECA!

Why Serve? 960 547 huynhr

Why Serve?

By: Randolph Huynh

In Collegiate DECA, serving in the community is more than giving your time. It is also showcasing who you are and what you can do. Many people do not realize this, but the best job offers comes from being involved in the community. Business professionals are constantly watching who they want to hire, and the best way to be out in the view isn’t just at networking events or job fairs but getting involved in community events.

Many of our community partners are related to the business industry and are also well connected in a diverse network that ranges from the medical field to the engineering field. What some students don’t realize is that you must

“Give before you can receive”

The community is always looking for young students who can help grow the community. The majority of UNLV DECA’s community projects are event-based, and at these events, members are challenged with knowing how to:

  • Problem solve
  • Give their 110% effort
  • Stay Focused
  • Make things happen

Many members who serve the community through Collegiate DECA have received internship and job offers. Just spending three to four hours serving and doing the best you can to make an event successful is worth the opportunity to build your professional network.