Jesuit Dallas launches a DECA chapter bringing forth a new club to inspire future business leaders. As of early in second semester, DECA was brought to Jesuit with the help of Christian Raju ’27 and Mrs. Evans in hopes to facilitate an environment for young men to strive in the business world.
What is DECA?
DECA (Distributive Education Clubs of America) is an international organization that helps high school and college students throughout the world in preparing for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality, finance, and management. DECA is organized into chapters among schools and each chapter must contain at least 10 members and should be recognized by the school. DECA is present in over 4,000 schools and close to 200 colleges in the United States alone. Through competitions, meeting with professionals, and real-world business experiences young men and women are set into the world with much more experience in business fields. DECA helps develop skills such as leadership, public speaking, communication, problem solving and critical thinking which can be used in multiple aspects of life beyond business.
A Word From The Founders
DECA was brought to Jesuit by Christian Raju and Mrs. Evans. Mrs. Evans says “All Jesuit students interested in business, leadership, and entrepreneurship are welcome to join DECA. It’s a great opportunity to develop essential business skills and ‘soft’ skills not typically taught in the classroom, such as teamwork, decision-making, and problem-solving in business and finance. DECA also provides a chance to compete and excel at a high level. I envision Jesuit DECA performing well in statewide and international competitions. Many Jesuit students are passionate about business and plan to pursue business-related fields in college—joining DECA will give them valuable insight into what it takes to succeed in business, marketing, and finance. Plus, we’re going to have a lot of fun along the way!” Christian Raju and Mrs. Evans share similar thoughts as Christian says “I am so excited to have a DECA chapter here at Jesuit. All my friends in public school love DECA and I truly believe that our Jesuit community would really benefit from this chapter. The success and interest we have seen so far is only the beginning and the potential for our chapter is limitless. I am excited to see how we will continue to grow into leaders and succeed as a chapter next year!”
DECA’s Progress
DECA has already grown to 50+ members in the span of two months. The club has seen great interest and involvement by students from all grades. The club currently meets in room B101 and invites anyone to come check it out. The early chapter has created a steering committee to discuss and organize a strategic plan for high achievement in the next year. The current board consists of Christian Raju as president, Isaac Ma ’27 as VP of leadership, Santiago Bryce ’26 as VP of Marketing, Noah Fahrenbruch ’27 as VP of Career Development, Daniel Shao ’27 as VP of Finance, and Nolan Nguyen ’27 as VP of Hospitality. The group is eager to grow the chapter and see the future advancement of students in the club.
Final words
To conclude, the establishment of the new Jesuit Dallas DECA chapter marks an exciting step toward fostering leadership, entrepreneurship, and career readiness among our Jesuit Dallas community. As the chapter grows, it will provide and forge great opportunities for personal and professional development, shaping the next generation of leaders. The Jesuit Dallas DECA chapter has limitless potential and is excited to make a lasting impact on not only the school, but the international DECA community.
