The Smoke Signal

By: Staff Writer Ansh Patel

Following up a successful showing at the regional Silicon Valley District Career Development Conference (SVCDC) in January, qualifying MSJ DECA competitors participated in the State Career Development Conference (SCDC) held at the Santa Clara Marriott from February 26 to March 1, 2015.

After checking into the Marriott hotel, on the first day of the event, competitors took tests and attended workshops to further prepare themselves for the conference. The events revolved around marketing, finance, hospitality, and management.

In order to welcome all competitors, CA DECA held the opening ceremony for the conference at California’s Great America. The ceremony included a dinner, dance, and welcoming speeches for all DECA competitors. On the second and third days of SCDC, students took part in role-play and written events and attended more detailed workshops that were catered specifically to their events.

At SVCDC, Juniors, Jacinta Chang and Zuhayer Quazi, won the positions for Vice President of Silicon Valley and Vice President of Public Relations, respectively. Since MSJ hold two officer position in the DECA state office, it has reached maximum representation, a new accomplishment for MSJ. To see the Smoke Signal’s interviews with Chang and Quazi, click here. In addition to the officer elections, all competitors were invited to the formal dance held at the California Ballroom of the hotel.

The conference also marked the end of Senior Dustin Chiang’s two-term run as the CA DECA State President. During his speech, Dustin reinforced his passion for DECA, as he thanked the organization for developing him as a person and as a competitor. He said, “I’m proud of the 5,000 Californians who pour their heart and soul into DECA each and every day. I’m proud of their accomplishments, efforts, and future successes.”

SCDC concluded with a Grand Awards Session where MSJ was honored with a variety of successes. Senior Samir Panjwani, Vice President of competition at MSJ DECA, said, “Out of the 168 MSJ competitors at the state conference, 64 had qualified to compete at the International Career Development Conference” (ICDC), which will be held in Orlando, Florida on April 25-28, 2015. Reflecting on the memories he created after qualifying to the ICDC, Sophomore Vineet Advani said, “The State Career Development was a blast. We had fun competing and networking with many individuals ranging from peers to guest speakers. DECA not only gives students a flavor of the business world, but it also provides them with self-confidence, knowledge for success, and experience working with the public. Wonderful memories were made by all participants and will be cherished and carried with them forever.”

Photo Credits to Stephanie Tran