JTHS Students Learn the Art of Marketing

Calling it a “once-in-a-lifetime experience,” Jefferson Township High School senior Matt Barone told his class about his trip to the DECA National competition in Orlando, Fla. earlier this year.

“I was taken out of my comfort zone, and I learned so much,” Barone said. “The most important thing I learned is that in life, you might get knocked down 99 out of 100 times. It’s that one time that you succeed that counts.”

Barone told his audience about his “PE Creed,” which includes three Ps: passion, poise and purpose, and three Es: energy, enthusiasm and excellence.

Barone described his part in the competition, which included a 100-question multiple choice test, and two role play situations.

“We were given the situation for the role play, and had 10 minutes to prepare a presentation. Then we had 10 minutes to present. We also had to answer questions about our presentation,” he said.

Nina DePalma and Amanda VanNess discussed their participation in a leadership development seminar at the nationals competition.

“When we first arrived, we were put into groups with kids from other states, and not with each other. I was terrified,” DePalma said. “But I learned so much about communicating with other people, and working with others, even if you don’t know them well.”

VanNess discussed her lessons in time management.

“I definitely learned how to manage my time more wisely,” she said. “We had to get from class to class on time, and be sure to get back to the conference on time after lunch. It would have been very unprofessional to be late.”

DePalma also discussed the part of the conference dealing with business etiquette.

“I learned that there are definitely different standards for the work world. You’re judged by the things you do, and you can get into a bad situation for doing something inappropriate,” DePalma said.

All three said that their experiences have helped them to feel more comfortable in situations that would make many people uncomfortable.