This article appears for archival purposes. Any events, programs and/or initiatives mentioned may no longer be applicable.
Two Scottsdale Community College students took first-place honors at the Arizona Career Development Conference, a statewide competition of college and university Collegiate DECA club members. The students, who were among seven from SCC to compete in the Feb. 26 event, will represent the college at the international conference in April.
Held at the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University in Tempe, the Arizona Career Development Conference brought together more than 100 DECA student members from across the state. They competed via business simulations, individual and team case studies and prepared business presentations. Their performances were judged and scored accordingly by business professionals from throughout the Valley.
Ryan Evans, Collegiate DECA @ SCC president, took first place in the accounting competition. He also received the highest score on the corresponding 100-question finance exam. Evans, who will become a student at ASU's W.P. Carey School of Business after completing his education at SCC in May, took first place in the accounting competition at the Arizona Fall Leadership Conference in November.
Collegiate DECA @ SCC Vice President Neil Advani was the first place winner in the retail management competition. A freshman at SCC, Advani also secured a first-place spot in retail management during the Arizona Fall Leadership Conference.
Evans and Advani will each represent SCC in Collegiate DECA's International Career Development Conference in Anaheim, Calif., April 19-22, which expects to draw about 2,000 students from around the globe.
"The whole idea of DECA is to prepare emerging leaders," said Susan Meschkow, business faculty and Collegiate DECA advisor at SCC. "Competitions are a big part of that preparation. We also address such facets of professional development as resume and cover letter writing, professional attire and business etiquette, networking and more. Workshops and speaker presentations help students better understand the path to certain professions."
According to Meschkow, monthly professional development meetings help club members, most of whom are business students, better position themselves for life after college. Guest speakers, visits to local businesses, workshops, competitions and community service activities are all part of the program.