Sprott students shine at international DECA conference
A group of Sprott students from Carleton’s DECA chapter brought home many awards from the DECA International Career Development Conference (ICDC) held in Washington, D.C. last week.
The team was awarded 12 medals, six trophies, and first place in the Entrepreneurial Challenge, which included a $5,000 award shared by the three team members.
The conference featured 1,500 students from across the U.S. and Canada, where they participated in professional development courses and competed as teams and individuals in business case competitions.
Carleton’s DECA chapter was started last year by its current president Ameer Baig, a second-year Bachelor of Commerce student.
The chapter has grown quickly and taken part in case competitions across Canada, including a top 10 finish at the provincial competion in Toronto.
Magadelena Plesa is the outgoing VP-Events for Carleton DECA and a graduating Bachelor of International Business student.
As a member of the Entrepreneurial Challenge team, Plesa and two teammates had four hours to create a business plan for a company that could be franchised. Their final pitch was a business that converted shipping containers to micro homes for use in South America.
She said the challenge was hugely valuable because it really solidifies what she learned over the course of her degree.
“Applying the knowledge you learn in class to case competition helps so much because i’ts like you gain a new understanding of what you’ve learned,” she said.
Bini Kanungo was also on the Entrepreneurial Challenge team and is a third-year Bachelor of Commerce student. He said the greatest value for him was the chance to build confidence in presentation skills.
“It definitely helps you get outside of your comfort zone,” he said. “It’s also a great stepping stone if you want to get more involved with case competitions in your upper years.”
“The more practice you have, the more prepared you are when you’re presenting for class or in the working world,” Plesa added.
Carleton DECA Results at ICDC
- 1st Place, Entrepreneurial Challenge (team) – Samantha Cameron-Ellis, Bini Kanungo, Magdelena Plesa
- 2nd Place, Business Ethics (team) – Samantha Cameron-Ellis, Magdelena Plesa
- 3rd Place, Restaurant & Food Service – Bini Kanungo
- Finalist, Sales Management – Ameer Baig
- Finalist, Human Resource Management – James Dalton
About DECA
DECA is an international not-for-profit association that helps prepare high school and university students for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality and entrepreneurship. DECA operates as a chapter system, with each school organizing and running its own chapter. These chapters work together to organize regional conferences that give students the chance to compete in case competitions, attend professional development opportunities, and network with other students.