When people picture business, an image of monotonous board meetings, endless spreadsheets, and stiff handshakes often comes to mind. But for the members of the high school’s Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) chapter, business is anything but boring. In just a few years, with the help of its chapter founder Jeremy Lee ’25, DECA has transformed from a small club to an expanding community where students are able to gain hands-on experiences in the field of business.
Lee began DECA in his freshman year as the Investment Club, a small group focused on finance-related topics such as investment strategies and stock market analysis. During his sophomore year, however, Lee expanded the club’s scope. He rebranded the Investment Club into an official DECA chapter, opening doors for students interested in a range of topics in business, including marketing, hospitality, and entrepreneurship.
Ms. Caroline Bell, a math teacher at the high school and the club’s advisor, watched the team’s hard work, collaboration, and perseverance pay off.
“I’ve really just seen the students take ownership of the club. They’ve learned what it takes to make a club, and more generally project, succeed,” Bell said. “They got people to sign up and stick with it, and they’ve helped with all parts of the process. It’s been awesome to see kids take ownership and leadership and work together.”
Despite the high school’s many rigorous business courses, what sets DECA apart is that the learning happens in a club environment.
“Wellesley has a great business department, and there are lots of classes you can take. But I feel like DECA is unique in that it being a class and not a club, people feel like they can be more themselves,” said Lee. “You don’t have to be ‘school smart’ to do well. You just need creativity, passion, and communication skills.”
This welcoming and dynamic environment has fueled DECA’s rapid growth at the high school. What started with just a handful of students has now expanded to nearly ninety members, with thirty qualifying for the 66th Massachusetts DECA Career Development Conference competition on February 27 and 28.
The team competed against 135 other DECA chapters in Massachusetts. Students select from various categories, such as finance, business administration, or marketing, and compete through role-play scenarios or written projects. Members are tested on their ability to quickly apply real-world business strategies to hypothetical problems.
“You’ll learn a lot of new skills. Not even just business skills,” said Claudia Paches ’26, a DECA team officer. “You’ll learn to communicate efficiently with other people, think on your feet, problem solve, speak in public, cooperate, and collaborate, all really important life skills.”
Not only that, being a part of the conference has also played a significant role in students’ personal development.
“At the beginning, it helped me gain the confidence to step out of my comfort zone. You’re thrown into a conference with 3,000 other people, and you’re forced to find your way,” said Karoush Farboodmanesh ’26, another officer for the team.
Ultimately, DECA is a community where everyone has the chance to grow and learn. It’s a place where students can challenge themselves while being supported by their peers and mentors. The competitive aspect of DECA pushes students to reach higher, but the collaborative environment encourages students to form deep, genuine connections as well.
“At States, they have this thing called After Dark, where there’s a DJ, and everyone just gets to hang out and have fun,” Farboodmanesh said. “You’re competing, sure, but you’re also making memories.”
