"DECA has prepared me to become a leader and enabled me to take a step closer to finding my dream career in the business field. I have enhanced my communication skills, adopted graphic design knowledge, and learned from inspiring figures. DECA has set me up for success in the real world, providing a supportive community for me to grow." Clare Ehnes, CHS Senior

With a now-viral TikTok, millions of people have been wowed by the tremendous facilities available at Carmel High School. What may have gone unnoticed or under-appreciated, however, is the success and purpose of the video's creator, Carmel DECA.

Carmel DECA is a world-ranked organization dedicated, in part, to marketing. So the fact that students were able to garner millions of views and thousands of new followers is a great 'win' for the club itself. 

If you enjoyed the video, we encourage you to take a minute to learn about the club from co-head and CMO, senior Clare Ehnes. 

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DECA, or Distributive Education Clubs of America, is an academic opportunity to expand, practice, and present business knowledge through competition. Our chapter provides members with the ability to learn real-world business knowledge and skills in an environment that encourages collaboration, fast-paced thinking, and professional execution. The club has various competitive clusters for students. The clusters include business management and administration, entrepreneurship, finance, hospitality and tourism, and marketing. All roleplay and some paper clusters require testing to evaluate.

There are opportunities to compete individually or on a team in traditional events, Roleplay, or Paper. Roleplays resemble real-world, quick-thinking situations. Competitors are given a business scenario and less than 30 minutes to assume the role assigned, solve the business problems, and answer questions the scenario presents. From there, competitors are given time to present their findings to solutions to their judge(s). The judges can ask competitors questions they must answer quickly and accurately.

Papers encompass a more thought-out, planned approach to business. Students competing in this event are tasked with writing a 10 to 20-page paper, depending on the category. The paper is prepared in advance, along with practicing and presenting a 15-minute presentation.

Students gain a multitude of real-world applicable skills such as communication, networking, collaboration, quick thinking, and public speaking. DECA sets participants up for success in their future endeavors by teaching them skills and connecting them with business professionals.

DECA is a business club that takes everything you learn in a business class and directly relates it to a real word scenario. Having an emphasis on marketing, students can either compete in Roleplay, Paper, or virtual games. DECA serves as a creative outlet for like-minded students to test out a potential career in business. DECA has taught me how to effectively network in a business setting, conduct myself in a professional manner, fine-tune my public speaking and presenting skills, and most importantly, confirmed my interest in a future career in business.

DECA Statistics & Accomplishments

• 90 people from the Carmel DECA chapter qualified for the International competition in Orlando, FL
  • 20 Role Play competitors
  • 70 Paper competitors
  • Won 90 awards
• Carmel DECA won every spot in each of the three categories
• The Carmel Cafe and Market was recertified as a gold level Student Based Enterprise (SBE)

DECA Members reported:

• 98% gained skills in problem-solving
• 97% learned how to communicate thoughts and ideas
• 86% learned how to work as part of a team
• 98% increased personal and professional behavior skills