The Journey of a DECA Student

Deanna Tzanis, Grade 12
To paint an image of how challenging DECA really is, sit back and imagine this: You are a student dressed in full business attire and have an individual event pertaining to elements of commerce. It can range from finance, marketing or service industries. As you wait for your name to be called, you are standing outside the doors of a massive banquet hall along with 7000 other students from across Ontario.
An advisor asks for your name and school. They tell you are going in five minutes. Your heart is racing, you’re wiping your hands on your pants because they are getting clammy. Your mouth goes dry. In 30 seconds they call your name. The doors swing open and you enter the banquet hall with rows upon rows of students. You sit down and they hand you your case study. You have only half an hour to meet all the performance indicators, display your business knowledge, and create an authentic business plan out of scrap paper and pencil. Before you know it, you are delivering your 10-minute pitch to one of the professional judges seated in front of you and there is nothing more than a thin curtain blocking out the dramatizations and proposals of your competition. This is your time, this is the moment you show them who is the boss ... literally.

This is the level of pressure one must endure when they perform a case study. Often the case study is followed by an exam that lasts an hour and a half. For students who like to prepare, they must display a project that captures a realistic issue in the business world and improve it by creating a startup. This hands-on business written consists of a 30 page proposal that encompasses all the background information and success your product/service can possess, and then of course, you must present it with a visual aid of some sort for 15 minutes.

DECA is not like any other club, it is intense, it is hard, and at times it can discourage you. But the achievement that comes at the end of the day, knowing that you did this and you accomplished what others haven’t even tried, is the only thing you need to keep you motivated and continue further on your path to gold.
Throughout these past four years, CDS DECA has seen an outstanding level of success. The chapter seems to have only increased in size, doubling in enrollment from last year alone. CDS has 36 of the most driven, analytical, innovative and creative students all participating in this grueling and academically challenging extra-curricular.

Fortunately, this year we have had the great privilege of training students and communicating with them in an effort to help them improve their skills. By implementing Thursday lunch meetings and after-school training sessions, we have been able to communicate effectively with our peers and evolve as a team. DECA Day was also a success; we had a competition rotary session with all the students after school one night to work on their critical thinking and presentation skills while also bringing in guest speaker, Deborah Wilson, to enlighten the students on the judging system. Our social media base has also gained attention. We have been able to create a diverse and efficient platform on outlets such as Twitter, Instagram and Facebook to reach our chapter and create a sense of community.

This year we were able to send a new record of students to the International Competition in Nashville, Tennessee. Seven CDS students represented our school on an international level among thousands of students from around the world. Our seven competitors include: Isabella Giancola, Kabir Walia, Lexi Benlolo, Madison-Shirab Hossack, Asha Jeejeebhoy, Emily Killops, Skye Nip, and Kitty Wu as our Leadership Development Academy Participant. We are so proud of these bright and ambitious students and we wish them the best of luck in their future DECA endeavours.

Overall, training the students and helping them succeed can be credited to chapter advisors, Ms. Laura Aldoroty and Mr. Emanuel Wanzama, for their continuous support and dedication throughout the year. Without you, none of this would have been possible and we say this with the most sincere gratitude, thank you.

We’ve spoken quite a bit about our chapter but who are we to talk? Well, I am Deanna Tzanis, a Grade 12 student who has been involved with DECA since 2013 and this is my personal experience along with my partner in crime Kristy Ho who has been a part of the chapter since 2012. We started off small, simpletons in the DECA universe just trying to find our footing. We worked as partners for three years, competed in all regional and provincial competitions as well as experienced internationals together. We have travelled to Boston, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Kristy went to Orlando and, on various occasions, Toronto. The trips were the best part of DECA because we were able to unite as a team and represent CDS on an international platform.

It’s has been the most thrilling experience. We have met so many new faces and made long lasting connections/friendships through DECA networking. Our power trips, our workshops and our competitions have enabled us to socially evolve and be intellectually active at all times. I am because DECA pushed me to my limits, it has introduced me to new experiences and it has given me the opportunity to travel to places I had never been. As Kristy and I close the book to our DECA experience, a new book with chapters will be created.

In conclusion, if you are a student at CDS reading this, we hope you will embark on the DECA journey, continue to write more chapters to this story, and pass along your knowledge. Our story has finished, but yours has just begun. #I_AM_CDS_DECA.

Story by Deanna Tzanis ’16
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Land Acknowledgment

CDS wishes to recognize and acknowledge the land on which the school operates. For thousands of years, these have been the traditional lands of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. We also recognize the traditional territory of the Huron-Wendat, Anishinaabe and the Haudenosaunee peoples who also shared this land.  CDS respects the relationship with these lands and recognizes that our connection can be strengthened by our continued relationship with all First Nations, by acknowledging our shared responsibility to respect and care for these lands and waters for future generations.

School Information

13415 Dufferin Street King, Ontario L7B 1K5 
(905) 833-1220 

communications@cds.on.ca
admissions@cds.on.ca

Founded in 1972, The Country Day School is a co-educational private school offering programs in JK-12 and located on 100 acres north of Toronto in King.