CHS DECA Chapter Still Strong a Year Later

It's hard to believe Cinnaminson's DECA program almost disappeared almost a year ago, as 88 percent of the district's DECA students qualified for the global organization's New Jersey State Conference currently being held.

DECA is an organization aimed to prepare students for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality and more.

Cinnaminson High School nearly lost the three-decade DECA program last spring, but the board of education found ways to cut costs while keeping DECA at CHS for the current school year.

CHS 2004 graduate and former DECA chapter president Christina Belfatto is this year's DECA program adviser and school store manager.

“Cinnaminson DECA was cut out of the budget last year. Luckily, it was brought back during the summer, allowing the students to partake in this excellent program,” Belfatto said. “The program is a major asset to the students of Cinnaminson High School.”

Belfatto works four-hour days Monday through Friday on a half-day substitute teacher's salary. She supplements her income working 25- to 30-hour weeks as a business development coordinator.

Co-curriculum full-time teacher Victoria Vavricka assists Belfatto with the DECA program and school store.

“We are still meeting the needs of the students,” said Vavricka. “Recruitment is down this year because not as many students were aware the program was brought back for the 2010-2011 school year.”

Last year 85 CHS students participated in DECA. The program was cut in April 2010 and reinstated in July 2010 after most students already chose their classes for the 2010-2011 school year.

The state competition theme this year is "social networking" and how to advertise and promote an existing organization or business to the public. It's being held in Cherry Hill.

Last year, 13 out of 50 CHS DECA students qualified for the DECA National Competition. Shannon Pokusa, Brittany Gallagher and Frank Endicott wrote a qualifying manual to compete in the nationals this year.

Junior CHS DECA student Michael Shay is running for New Jersey DECA treasurer at the State Competition this year.

“It helps being a former DECA student in knowing how important this program is for students who want to go into business and who want to go to college,” said Belfatto, a three-year DECA student at CHS and 2003-04 chapter president.

“Not only do you learn real-life situations, but you're learning to be a manager, you're learning how to delegate, you're learning how to work as a team and you're also getting retail experience.”

Belfatto said the school store is a microcosm for real life experience working at a store. Her students do all the work to operate the school store including processing invoices, ordering products, stocking shelves, pricing, selling and advertising.

CHS' student of the second marking period senior Mark Maute is competing in Hotel and Lodging Marketing at the state conference this week. He will compete in a one-hour test and two role plays. He hopes to make the National DECA Competition in Orlando, FL, at the end of April.

“DECA not only prepares you for what you want to do after high school, but it's a lot of fun and it looks great on resumes to say you were in this program,” said Maute.

“We do all these fund raisers and we go on all these trips. It is hard work to prepare, but it's a lot of fun. My sophomore year, I was the quietest kid in this program, but as the years went on, I just broke out of my shell more. All the competitions and all the events and putting yourself in a real-life situation and working your way out of it...it just gives you real-life experience. Going in to an interview, you know what to expect from the DECA role plays.”

Maute wants to major in business management or marketing after graduation from CHS in June. He plans to attend Burlington County College for two years then  transfer to Rowan University.

Belfatto agrees her participation in DECA helped her prepare for life after CHS.

“DECA helped me get into the business program at West Chester University, it helped me build a resume and get my managerial position throughout college. My experience with DECA helped me with interviews,” she said.

CHS DECA students are among 185,000 marketing students in more than 5,000 schools across the globe. DECA students compete in events targeted in preparing them for post-high school success in careers in marketing, finance, hospitality and management.