As the 2015-2016 school year has begun, the copious number of sports, clubs, and other extracurricular activities have commenced with outstanding beginnings. One club has recently debuted its achievements at two invitationals that participants attended in Glenwood Springs on October 4th and 5th and Vail on November 1st and 2nd. This club is DECA (Distributive Education Clubs of America), a co-curricular club that allows students to take a leap into business situations they may experience post high school.

The Lewis-Palmer High School DECA program is a growing organization with one-hundred and six students currently involved. The first invitational in Glenwood Springs gave a select few students hands on experience with what to expect at the district level. Many new DECA members were pleased with the turnout for their first competition.

“I was super relieved and happy because I was a finalist on my first try. I was super happy about that. I came in about third place in the principles of marketing event,” Kaity Hovasse, 10, said.

After the Glenwood Springs invitational, Lewis-Palmer DECA students were given another opportunity to rehearse their DECA skills before districts on December 3rd. Students traveled three hours to the Beaver Creek Resort in Vail, Colorado.

“Going to the invitational will help me with roleplays,” said Samantha Allen, 12. “It’ll give me some experience before districts. I get really nervous when I’m about to go in front of a judge and so I kind of get shaky. My strategy is to win. I don’t have a specific strategy, I just go out there and do my best.”

Many students are already feeling very confident about going to the state level and even nationals. Jada Berry, 11, a student in the program and one of the Co-Vice Presidents of the DECA Board, is looking forward to taking her business knowledge to the next level.

“I do see myself going to state this year because of my pre-prepared event and definitely with my other financial consulting event,” said Jada Berry, 11.

Now that the invitationals for this DECA year at Lewis-Palmer have concluded, students can only continue to prepare at school and at home for districts. Based on the results of the invitationals, the Lewis-Palmer DECA program foresees numerous wins this year.