From just around 25 members in the 2023 to 2024 season to around 50 this year, South’s Distributive Education Club of America (DECA) is experiencing success like never before. With more students attending frequent practices this year, and consequently, more students qualifying for states than ever before, DECA members have high expectations for the state competition.
Led by President Cedar Rihani ’25 and Vice President Jack Martin ’25, the business and economics-centered club has focused on getting members more prepared for the competitions than in the past. Rihani joined DECA as a junior, but using his prior business passion was able to win a state title for Principles of Business Management.
“Me, Jack and Mr. Formicola have put together a blueprint of how to be successful in the business world,” Rihani said. We ended up sending more people to states [this year] than we even had total in the club last year.”
In his second year with DECA, Formicola has worked on incorporating real-world scenarios into every practice, which is a big part of performing well in competitions.
“We have meetings once a week where we really focus on how students can really do the best that they could in the competition,” Formicola said. “States is known to be more difficult, but I think with our schedule of practicing, I’m quite optimistic.”
The culture in DECA is buzzing with the new attendees and talent, those enthusiastic about the club can’t help looking forward. Reid Lenglet ’28 has just started out in DECA and hopes to carry what Rihani and Martin helped build into the rest of his years at South.
“Me and my partner are super excited for states,” Lenglet said. “Since it’s our first year, I’m not sure how well we’ll do, but what I’m excited for in the future is getting better and possibly going farther.”
But no matter how South performs in states or how many students sign up next year, the future of DECA is bright in the eyes of those who are passionate about it, which are the ones who really make a difference. Rihani hopes that what he has done with DECA in his time at South will continue into future years to establish a legacy in the club he cares so much about.
“I want to see more people joining next year, but most importantly see people getting passionate about business,” Rihani said. “DECA really showed me what I want to do for the rest of my life, and I think that’s super special. We’re going to level up.”
