Twenty-nine members of the McNeil chapter of DECA competed in District 5 at Copperas Cove High School on Jan. 24, with 26 students advancing to the state level in their respective categories.

“I took several of the online tests that were provided to us through e-learn to prepare for competition,” junior Ricardo Rivadeneira said. “I also looked at several presentations on various marketing topics, tried to look up relevant vocabulary, and did several practice role plays for the competition.

The competitive events in DECA are aligned with the National Curriculum Standards in the career clusters of marketing, business management and administration, finance, and hospitality and tourism. Through competitions, high school students are exposed to these concepts outside of the classroom and are better prepared for college and the world beyond.

Competitors participated in a variety of events – ranging from advertising campaigns to case studies. Some members wrote up to 30 pages for their event, while others spent hours rehearsing presentations and creating posters. Professionalism and proper conduct is a must in the world of business, and practice helped make perfect in front of judges.

Rivadeneira and others will compete at the state convention held on Feb. 25 in Dallas.

“I am excited for state, although it definitely seems like it will be a lot harder than the district competitions,” Rivadeneira said.