Illinois DECA's January in Review
- ildecaweb
- Feb 10
- 2 min read
Hi Illinois DECA! Again, it’s Allen Xu and Rohan Kumar from your Illinois DECA Rising Leader Team, here to fill you in on the latest DECA news. In this post, we will reflect on an exciting January and look ahead to what is coming in the next few weeks.
Leadership Council
At our recent Leadership Council on January 20th, we covered some major takeaways during our DECAhoot. In case you missed it:
When competing, make sure to know your role—understanding your responsibilities is crucial to a strong performance.
Take advantage of online practice tests to sharpen your skills for state.
Have a clear game plan going into your roleplay. If competing with a partner, team chemistry is key! Work on building smooth and effective flow.
Vice President of Leadership Development Cullen Watanuki emphasized the importance of studying and strategy in achieving success; don’t wait until the last minute to begin preparing. Additionally, congratulations to Natalia Ciura from Elmwood Park, Grace Zhuang from Neuqua Valley, and Josh Koyfman from Deerfield for securing podium finishes!
President’s Council
On January 19th, Olivia held the most recent President’s Council, giving plenty of tips for chapter presidents to help their members prepare for competition! This included:
Tips for confidence during competition
Activities to engage members in competition prep
Ways to maintain member involvement between competitions
Look out for some new strategies from your chapter presidents as you gear up for the State competition! If you’re a president of your school’s chapter, be sure to join the next President’s Council, which will be all about preparing for IL CDC, on Thursday, February 27 at 7:00 PM!
Spikeball Preview
On March 2nd, Illinois DECA will host a Spikeball tournament fundraiser at Techny Prairie Activity Center, supporting the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA)! It’ll be a fun way to network with local DECA chapters, relax with friends, and support a great cause—all in just one and a half hours. Details will be finalized and shared on this blog and with your advisors, so mark your calendars and get ready to play for a purpose!
Wrapping it up
January was a month of competition, camaraderie, and countless unforgettable moments. From the stress-filled sectionals to the friendships made along the way, IL DECA competitors stood up and stood out. But the journey doesn’t stop here, as State is just around the corner. Whether you’re fine-tuning your roleplays, finding the perfect pump-up playlist, or just attending our next Leadership Council meeting, keep on finding ways to improve! The path to State is yours to take, and we can’t wait to see what you bring to the big stage in March. Until then, stay sharp, stay hungry, and as always—Be The One. See you at State!
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