Reet Sharma achieved a top ten finish at the DECA International Career Development Conference and Competition (ICDC) held in Florida
A Grade 11 student from Guelph Collegiate Vocational Institute (GCVI) put her marketing skills to the test on an international level last month.
On April 29, Reet Sharma, along with her partner, Julia Bettridge, achieved a top ten finish in the Sports and Entertainment Team Marketing event at the DECA International Career Development Conference and Competition (ICDC) held in Orlando, Florida.
“I did not expect this at all. It was amazing,” Sharma said.
“Last year, I was in the same category. At provincials, we got top role play. And this year, we just got a lot better and got a lot more.”
DECA is a competitive organization that offers high school students opportunities to develop and demonstrate their skills in marketing, entrepreneurship, finance, and hospitality.
Skills are evaluated through a variety of competitive events, ranging from role-playing simulations to business challenges and digital presentations.
Reet, along with eleven other students from the UGDSB, earned the opportunity to represent DECA Ontario following outstanding performances at the provincial competition earlier this year.
DECA prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management. Participants demonstrate their skills by developing business plans and solving real-world challenges through presentations and role-playing events.
This year’s ICDC brought together over 25,000 students from around the world, making it one of the largest global events for young business leaders.
“In their respective categories, both Reet and Julia showcased their sports and entertainment marketing team decision making, showcasing their dedication, business acumen and leadership skills on an international stage,” said Reet’s father, Abhishek Sharma. “Their achievement is a testament to the excellence fostered within our school and the hard work they have put into preparing for this prestigious competition.”
Reet’s project consisted of an exam with 100 multiple-choice questions and a case study/role play.
“You have 30 minutes to prepare the case study where you come up with a solution. You then have 15 minutes to present the solution,” Sharma said.
“Your exam and case study are a tallied score and you get to know your mark from there. And then if you move on to provincials, it is a similar process depending on your cluster, which for us, was marketing.”
Sharma says the process has taught her a lot about pushing herself to the limit.
“I honestly didn’t think that I could even make it to ICDC. I thought that would be just insane. And so I did more practice exams this year. I believe I tried my best to understand it all,” Sharma said.
“And we both studied case studies based on seven performance indicators.”
Sharma and her partner Julia, have been best friends since Grade 9.
“I met her in Grade 9 English. We had to do an essay together, and we have been best friends ever since,” Sharma said.
Julia preferred not to be interviewed for this story.
Sharma says the DECA competition has helped her to develop and hone her skills in marketing specifically.
“I’ve always loved business. I’m taking economics now and I’ve taken business. And I just really enjoy it. It’s my safe space and I think this can help me in the future because of all of the exposure it’s given me to the marketing world from an international level,” Sharma said.
“That whole process of moving on to the next level really brought out our teamwork together, our collaboration skills and all of the hard work we put in throughout the year.”
In the future, Sharma says she hopes to pursue marketing and business.
“My second option is aviation. I’m an air cadet as well and I really enjoy being part of that too. So, I will consider aviation, math, science and business. That’s where I am leaning towards,” she said.
Sharma says the DECA club at school allows students to push themselves and to meet their full potential.
“In Grade 9, I was really new to DECA, and didn’t know what I was doing. But in Grade 10, I definitely thought that I wanted to do well. And we did. I got an award in provincials. And so this year, we were so close and I really pushed myself,” she said.
“I think it’s such a good club if you want exposure in different areas. If you are interested, I definitely recommend it, especially because you meet so many friends along the way. It was really a great experience.”
