Making of tomorrow's business leaders

Competing in a DECA (Distributive Education Clubs of America) competition is an incredible achievement that requires dedication, hard work and a willingness to push oneself to the limit. DECA is a global organisation that prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs in marketing, finance, hospitality and management. 

Participating in a DECA competition is a unique opportunity to apply the skills and knowledge gained through education and training in a real-world setting. I always wanted to be a leader. So, I was inspired to take part in it. 

First, I selected the BOR (Business Operations and Research) category and then partnered with a hardworking and brilliant friend of mine. To do well in an event, one must first select a category that aligns with one's interests and expertise. Whether it is marketing, finance, hospitality or management, one must have a solid understanding of the category's concepts and principles. 

Our job was to develop a comprehensive strategy that incorporates research, analysis and creativity. Integrating a hyper-personalisation plan for advertisements tailored to each customer, we were tasked with choosing a local business in Virginia that we could use to create this plan and find a way to implement our ideas into their marketing strategy. Hyper-personalisation means a business is tailored to address different needs of different individuals rather than have a "one size fits all" strategy. 

After a lot of research and contemplation, we decided to go with OrthoVirginia, Virginia's top orthopaedic clinic. My partner and I, both being athletes, have had a fair share of injuries from sports. We both had been on various visits to OrthoVirginia to relieve a broken ankle and a sprained knee.

Spending hours researching and analysing our category, identifying trends and developing strategies that will set us apart from competitors, our goal was to be able to articulate our ideas and solutions in a clear, concise and persuasive manner. 

Our first task was to write a 20-page paper detailing everything from our chosen company, our proposed plan, all our research methods and findings, our budget and more. This paper was our framework and foundation to create the best presentation that we could. We researched everything starting with the company itself as well as the competitors. An advantage we had was having personal connections to OrthoVirginia. 

Using these resources, we created a plan that would use chatbots, AI and machine learning to reach out to OrthoVirginia customers in order for them to receive personalised advertisements that pertain to them only. This would include personalised emails, social media campaigns, personalised advertisement links etc. With this, we aimed to give OrthoVirginia patients and customers an experience that related to them and also made it easier and more enjoyable for them. 

Using our experience, we used our own opinions to strengthen our presentation. After months of hard work, preparation and practice, it was finally time to make our way to Virginia Beach, a beach resort, to compete for Virginia DECA States.

I travelled there with friends and other students from our school, who were also competitors in other categories. We had the first two days to practise and get everything together.

We had this time to perfect everything we had, down to the last-minute details. We felt ready and confident. We believed that we could qualify for the next round and represent our school for the Nationals in Orlando, Florida. 

At last, the day we had been preparing for came upon us. We would be judged by an industry expert who would evaluate our performance, presentation and paper, based on a set of criteria, including knowledge, presentation skills and creativity. To win, we had to show not only a mastery of the content but also the ability to communicate effectively and think critically under pressure.

After the presentation, we felt good. Relieved because it was finally over, but also confident that we did a good job. At the final stretch of our presentation, we noticed that the judge only had one question for us, which made us light up even more. We would find out if we qualified for the Nationals as well as our ranking in our category the same day during the closing ceremony.

I spent the rest of the day with my friends trying to enjoy myself but also nervously thinking about our position. We ate lunch and hung out and talked about our presentations with the hope of qualifying for the Nationals. As the time came for the closing ceremony, our nerves got jangled. 

I got all dressed up in my special DECA suit. I was imagining every situation: win or lose. I wondered if all the time and practice that we put in would pay off. Arriving at the convention centre, we were just moments away from glory. The DECA committee had announced every category one by one. My school had participants in many categories and I was looking forward to seeing which of my peers had the chance to compete on the national stage in Florida.

My category was toward the end of the list. As the announcers kept going, everyone realised that groups from my school were not qualifying. I was on edge. To be honest, I had become totally demoralised at this point. More and more of my friends ended up not qualifying. 

My category was next. This was it! Finally, they called our category. I immediately turned my head to the huge board that displayed the names. I scanned and looked for our names. There we were. We made it. We really qualified for the Nationals. 

Our school section erupted in applause and cheered us on. This meant that we were one of the top seven competitors in our category. Now all that was left to see was where we would place in the top seven. All seven groups would earn a congratulatory medal but the top three groups would earn not only just a medal, but also a glass trophy.

Backstage, the DECA officials and organisers congratulated us and handed us our medals. We lined up and our category's top seven groups walked onto the big stage, still nervous. The announcer started, calling the 7th place group first, then 6th and so on. 

We looked at each other thinking we would place 4th and had no chance of top 3. Then the 4th place winner was called and we were still standing there, our names yet to be called. We looked at each other in disbelief, so excited that we made the top three. The 3rd place was announced, and we survived again.

Now, we really had a chance to be the 1st. The announcer called 2nd place. It ended up being us! However, we were ecstatic. We walked forward to the spotlight and received our glass award and held it aloft with pride. We stood on the podium as everyone took pictures of us and cheered us on. 

When I heard our names announced, especially as podium winners of the competition, the feeling of elation and pride was indescribable. Placing 2nd in our competition and qualifying for the Nationals was a testament to our hard work, dedication and talent.

It is an achievement that will stay with me for the rest of my life, providing me with a sense of confidence and accomplishment that will serve me well in future endeavours. It was a moment of pride. 

I hurriedly called my parents to show the trophy, and to brag about our qualification to the next round. We brought home the trophy and showed it to all our teachers and peers. Everyone was so happy for us. However, the job was not finished and we have more exciting things to come. Next stop, Florida!