19 April 2021

Members from Hoover DECA will participate in the DECA International Career Development Conference starting Monday night in the Hoover High School media center. Marcus Lemonis of CNBC's "The Profit" is slated to be the evening's keynote speaker.

The conference was originally supposed to be held in Anaheim, California, but will be virtual instead. Students who are attending won state-level competitions in a variety of areas, including finance, hospitality, marketing, Management, and Entrepreneurship.

Members of the Hoover High School contingent will participate in the Competitive Events Program.

The competitions are designed to simulate real-life business scenarios and test students’ academic understanding and skills development. The top state and provincial winners will now put their talents to the test during the program’s final round of competition virtually. Businesspeople from across the world are evaluating DECA members’ concepts, ideas, and projects against industry-validated performance indicators.

“All DECA members should be commended for their resilience and grit to participate in DECA’s competitive events program this year,” Chief Program Officer of DECA Inc Christopher Young said. “Even through the uniqueness of the past year, DECA members have taken their learning to the next level as they prepare to lead us through the many challenges ahead.”

Hoover High Sophomore Annabelle Kemp, who competed at State DECA Conference in a Community Giving Project Management Event, says, “DECA competitions have given me real-life experiences for my future career. These experiences have prepared me for interviews and have strengthened my time management skills.”

Advisor Shelley Pewitt has been teaching business classes for thirty years. She believes that DECA is instrumental in developing confidence and critical thinking skills in teens. “The Competitive Events program really brings to life the business concepts that are taught in the classroom," Pewitt said. "I also love that students have the opportunity to network with business leaders!"

Hoover DECA joins more than 17,000 DECA members registered to participate, with all 146,000 members invited to engage, an added benefit included with their DECA membership, in their quest to prepare for college and careers.