Have you considered enhancing your knowledge of money and business, getting a head start in finance, or perhaps learning all about marketing? Are you interested in winning shiny medals and trophies without needing athleticism? Cherry Hill High School West offers a fantastic and interactive program/club where students learn and prepare for business fields such as marketing, finance, hospitality, and management careers. DECA is offered in many colleges, but taking the opportunity now would be significantly beneficial.

DECA is a good way to learn professionalism, entrepreneurship, leadership, and communication skills for the future. Members also compete in competitions where they can use their knowledge and skills in real-life scenarios and receive feedback from the judges, who are professionals in the area. They can also decide to do a ten-page outline with specific requirements rather than do a roleplay.

Not only that, but the DECA team provides ways to connect and give back to the community. The team held three fundraisers throughout November, mainly mid- and late-November. All money raised was donated to the American Cancer Society, which dedicates its time to research, treatment, and care in the fight against cancer. Just because these fundraisers ended doesn’t mean you still cannot donate. If you want to help or chip in some money for cancer research, visit their website or contact Ms. Fiore at [email protected] for further information.

The DECA team also participated in their annual shredding event. Here, the DECA team from Cherry Hill High School West and Cherry Hill High School East worked together to assist people who needed to recycle paper, technology, etc. The image above depicts two active DECA members (left: Makenzie Howlett, right: Nayla Ben Abdallah) representing the school’s DECA team.

On January 7th, 2025, the Cherry Hill West DECA team competed in a DECA competition at the DoubleTree Hotel in Cherry Hill. As stated, you are called to a session with the judges in these competitions. Then, you are asked about the categories you selected before the event, such as Personal Finance Literacy, Business Management and Administration, Hospitality and Tourism, etc. After that, you act as if you were in a real-life scenario and attempt to appease the judges while trying to do better than the others in your category. This is known as the roleplay aspect of DECA competitions.

Once all categories have finished their sessions, those called up to the stage during the closing ceremony will be announced as the winners and move on to the next round.

So far, Cherry Hill West has three people move on with their roleplays. Juniors Will Kehan and Graham Mayer, working together in the Finance Team Decision-Making category, and senior Cameron Kraus, participating in the Hotel and Lodging Management category, will advance from the district competition to the state competition. If you see them around, go ahead and congratulate them or wish them luck.

However, there’s more for Cherry Hill West! DECA members who did roleplay (instead of writing the ten-page outline) and did not move on to states will have the chance to redeem themselves by writing a paper. There are many different ones; for example, the entrepreneurial outline requires creating your own business, which reflects real-world business such as sole proprietorship, franchises, and more. There is one for other categories; the paper depends on your chosen category.

If you haven’t already, check out the Cherry Hill West DECA Instagram Account @chwdeca and follow them for updates if you haven’t already. There, they provide photos of what they do, the achievements they accomplish, the memories they make, and the bonds they make along the way!

If you’re wondering how to join, it’s simple! The only requirement is to take a business class during the school year, whether a full-year or half-year course. That way, you can learn about the fields of business and prepare for the competitions if you’re interested! 

With all said and done, why not give DECA a shot? If you have any questions left unanswered, please feel free to contact Ms. Fiore at [email protected], Mr. Wojcik at [email protected], or any fellow DECA members you recognize.