Slinger DECA Says “Here We Go” to State

Post date: Feb 13, 2020 12:58:51 PM

By: Abby Walter, Staff Writer

Posted February 13th, 2020

On Thursday, January 9, a library full of hopeful DECA competitors sat in front of their Chromebooks, testing tickets in hand. Some looked completely unphased, confident in their abilities to score high and earn one of the shiny DECA medals they’d been eyeing up and earning for years. The rest of the students, however, sat anxiously, constantly reminding their brains to “come on and think already.” These were the students who were fully expecting a bead of sweat to fall from their forehead and hit the “Submit Test” button.

By the time the District role play night rolled around on Wednesday, January 22, the nervous new members were a bit more relaxed, thanks to the extensive preparation provided by the Slinger DECA advisor, Mrs. Smessaert, the rest of the Slinger Business department including Mrs. Hansen and Ms. Becker, and the DECA officers, Emily Becker, Makenna Erickson, Owen Zaskowski, Maggie Klippel, Ava Breuer, Zach Stupnik, Jack Summers and Hannah Murray. Of course, they had prepared the members considerably for their test as well, it’s just difficult to find a student who doesn’t get nervous before a big test!

For some members, the excitement of competing isn’t worth the stress, so they prefer to stick to volunteering and gaining work experience, two of the three focuses of Slinger DECA. As any member would tell you, this work does not go unnoticed. In fact, when asked about how DECA involvement prepares students for the future, Slinger DECA Co-President Makenna Erickson said “DECA is a great organization to be a part of regardless of what your future holds. Communication, organization, project planning and presenting are a few of the exceptional skills gained through DECA!” Two of Makenna’s DECA takeaways, communication and organization don’t require competing at all.

However, for a multitude of members, competing is the highlight of the DECA year. If questioned, nearly every Slinger member would quickly tell you that it is easily worth all of the time and effort required. Whether or not a member qualified for State, they gained valuable presentation skills that will last them a lifetime. Even if students don’t see business in their future, these skills are applicable to any path they choose. Slinger DECA officer, Ava Bruer, reinforced this point through her testimonial: “Throughout the past year, DECA has presented me with so many opportunities and helped me to grow my confidence in so many different ways. No matter where you think your future will take you, DECA is such an amazing organization to get involved in to help prepare you for whatever path you decide to take.”

For the members who weren’t quite ready for State this year, there are still plenty of DECA opportunities ahead of them. Additionally, this year’s State qualifiers have another opportunity right around the corner. From March tenth through the twelfth, seniors Emily Becker, Makenna Erickson, Owen Zaskowski, Hannah Murray, Maggie Klippel, Jack Summers, Taylor Rhodes, Ethan Schmidt, and Sydney Strachota, juniors Abby Simon and Heather Campbell, sophomores Ava Bruer, Lauren Tradewell, Gage Zeigler, Morgan Rogacki, Bradley Robertson, and Lara Schmidt, and freshmen Isabelle Gintner, Abby Walter, and Jamie Rhodes will test their business skills against those of the other hopeful Internationals contenders.

State-sourced excitement is flowing through the Business hallway, and the officers are surely adding to the energy. Looking forward to her last Lake Geneva trip, Makenna exclaimed “I am looking forward to my final state competition of high school. Throughout the past two years, I have been able to network with so many new people and develop great skills for my future. The amount of hard work and dedication it takes to make it to State is unreal, but it is so worth it in the long run. On the sophomore side of the spectrum, Ava proved her enthusiasm through the statement, “I’m looking forward to seeing all the time and hard work that everyone has put into this whole process finally paying off. I think everyone will really be able to take this experience and grow from it as competitors, and also utilize what they learn in their everyday lives as well.”

As the Slinger DECA chapter parades back from State, sporting polished medals and carrying glass trophies, remember that this could be you next year. After all, there’s nothing stopping you, so, “Here We Go!”