DECA Inspired by Drew

DECA Inspired by Drew - January 2017 Scholarship Essay

The one activity that has inspired me to make a difference in my community is my involvement in the Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA). I have been involved in DECA, locally and regionally, for the past year and a half. This experience has inspired me to excel in many ways, especially academically and in my community service.

Since joining DECA, my focus on my school work has heightened and my grades have steadily improved. Because of DECA’s comprehensive learning programs and emphasis on cultivating effective learning styles, it has helped me become an even better student and more confident in my abilities.

DECA also has enabled me to form strong, productive relationships with my peers. My chapter members, advisor and I support and encourage one another. The level of support and encouragement I have received during my time in DECA has reassured my faith in my ability to achieve anything I set out to do. However, I know that I cannot accomplish my goals independently. My peers have shown me how instrumental teamwork, collaboration, and support are to my success. Overall, my DECA experience has helped strengthen my sense of purpose and the importance of giving back to my community.

For instance, one of our DECA projects last year involved myself and members of my club donating gifts to every student at Elephants Fork Elementary School for Christmas. I learned that Elephants Fork was our district’s most underserved elementary school. One of the school’s fifth-grade classrooms was destroyed in a fire. When we visited the school, I learned that it is severely under-resourced. In spite of this, the students and teachers work hard to overcome this challenge and have been able to make do with the few resources they do have.

When we delivered the gifts to the school, the children and administration were overjoyed with our generosity, and the students were thrilled and excited to show us what they were doing in the classroom. This experience significantly impacted me. It made me realize how blessed I am, how often I easily take things for granted, and how very fortunate I am to have all of my basic needs met.

Perhaps the main reason why DECA has inspired me to make a difference in my community is because of these types of experiences. Through our community service projects, I have gained insight and a better understanding of the needs of the underserved in my community and how I have the ability to address those needs and make a difference in their lives.

As a result, I am currently working on two volunteer projects started up by my peers and I. I was recently elected Senior Class President, and I have taken all that I have learned in DECA and applied it to this leadership role. I want to inspire my fellow classmates to give back and be able to learn the value of helping others, just as I have.

The first project the senior officers and I are collaborating on is a coat drive. We are working together steadily to devise a plan for the coat drive in order to identify a location we can donate to, effectively promote the coat drive, and acquire all the necessary resources to make it happen. The second project that my peers and I are working on is helping to improve the literacy of students at one our school district's underperforming elementary schools. Reading and comprehension are a critical skill that needs to be developed at a very early age. My goal for these volunteer activities is for it to have a positive impact on those in need in our community, and increase the level of community engagement among my peers.

Through my DECA experience and in my service to others, volunteering has helped strengthen my communication and leadership skills and has enhanced my level of professionalism. My volunteer and community service experience has also helped me mature and grow as an individual. I believe that community service helps shape strong leadership skills and stimulates creativity.

For me, DECA represents more than an activity. It is a culture and a movement that has changed my life. It has inspired me to make a difference in my community, and it has shaped and molded me into a better, stronger, and a more fearless individual who is ready to conquer the world!