DECA is a not-for-profit student organization that has high school chapters all around the world, it prepares high school students for marketing and finance careers. The International Competition for DECA, International Career Development Conference (ICDC), took place in Nashville, Tennessee this year in April where more than 10,000 DECA members from around the world came together, and competed in different events, where students got to demonstrate their knowledge in career skills.  This year from Oakton many students competed in this rigorous competition. From Oakton three students were able to make it in the top 10 in the world in each of their categories. Matthew Godin (12) was one of these students.

Godin has been in DECA for all four years of high school. This year he participated in the Financial Consulting event where he created a presentation based on the topic given by DECA at the beginning of the school year about financial consulting. To participate in DECA a prerequisite is a Marketing class, and because Godin qualified for states and then internationals he worked mostly in class and sometimes after school, but it was never a stress factor for Godin. He never had to work on it too much and it didn’t take over his life. For Godin’s event because he had so much time to work on it, he knew that everyone at the competition had the same assignment and presentation. Godin didn’t expect to place at nationals but he wasn’t completely surprised either.  However, last year when Godin was a junior he placed first at states and this boosted his confidence, he knew he could place at ICDC but it was just a matter of putting in a little more work.

For Godin, he says that one of the hindrances of going far in DECA was not the presentation but it was sounding enthusiastic while giving his presentation because “People who know me, know that I am very monotone, and I don’t get that excited very often and for the presentation, one has to sound exciting”, says Godin. Ms. Veer was able to give him that push and help him bring out the passionate part of himself for fifteen minutes for his presentation.

DECA has also not only brought success to Godin but has also helped him step out of his shell and gain social skills. Throughout Godin’s whole life he was a shy person and it was hard for Godin to talk to people that he didn’t know but DECA has enabled him to be more confident in dealing with people he doesn’t know. For example, when Godin gives a presentation he doesn’t know the judges but students have to talk to them as if they know them. “DECA has given me the ability to talk to anyone”, says Godin.