At our school, this year’s Area 4 and Area 5 DECA regionals brought together thousands of competitors on both November 28th and 29th. This is the first level of competition, essential for students to advance to the provincial and international stage.
Reflecting on how both days unfolded, Mr Scorcia noted, “As they do every year, our DECA team were incredible hosts for over 5,000 students and were brilliant competitors.” His comment highlights just how central the school’s DECA members were to the organization and success of the entire event.
Regionals are often the first stepping stone for DECA members. Thousands of students walk through th doors, hoping for a spot at provincials, making it crucial for the hosting school to have the best possible environment. Stressed volunteers or disorganisation can directly impede a student’s performance. An organized environment promotes high performance, so as the hosting school, ensuring this atmosphere is crucial.
This opportunity really highlighted the strength of the school community. So many students stepped up to volunteer, and their work was absolutely essential to making the event run smoothly. Without all their effort, the DECA regionals could not have run at the scale and quality they did this year and in past years.
Even Datar Kaur, a DECA executive, notes, “With it being my second year as Diner Manager, my favourite part has remained working with a truly amazing team of both talented as well as dedicated volunteers.”
And dedicated indeed they were, volunteering for hours to ensure everybody was comfortable and all questions were answered. Without these amazing volunteers taking time away from their weekend to help, the regionals wouldn’t have had such a great success.
Hetvi Patel, the IBT vice president, stated that “DECA regionals were absolutely phenomenal this year! The crew was excellent, and our volunteers killed it as always!”
Another detail that stood out this year was the effort volunteers put into making the day feel welcoming. In the DECA diner, volunteers even decorated donut bags and hot-beverage cup lids with light hearted jokes and motivating quotes. It added so much charm to the experience, giving stressed competitors a moment to smile on a busy day. Little things like this showed the genuine care and efforts from the volunteers to ensure that the day ran smoothly and to create an environment where everyone felt supported.
The students themselves faced high stakes, with some competing for the first time and others returning for another year. Competitors took on a variety of events and role plays, while volunteers and executives ensured the day ran smoothly. Ms Fiocco and the IBT and DECA executive teams played the key role in coordinating the volunteers, ensuring everyone knew their roles throughout the day.
Udantika Arya, a second-year DECA competitor, reflected on her experience. “This year I took DECA more seriously,” she stated, “with the goal of making it to provincials no matter what. I’m honestly just relieved and thrilled to see that all the effort was completely worth it in the end, and that not only did I make provincials, but I also placed first in my category.”
Overall, the success of the Area 4 and 5 DECA regionals was highlighted by teamwork, leadership and dedication of everyone who was a part of its process. The experience not only advanced the goals of individual competitors but also strengthened the skills and collaboration of the community as a whole.
THE NORTH STAR 