ICDC.... 11 Days and Counting

The culminating event of the Delta Epsilon Chi membership year is our International Career Development Conference(ICDC)!
ICDC offers you the chance to engage in challenging learning activities, receive recognition for your competitive achievements, and expand your peer and business networks.
Make plans to join us for the 2009 conference in Southern California April 22-25, 2009.
Updated Agenda! now available. Just click here.

Hot Wheels & ICDC Funding

Hot Wheels & ICDC Funding

My brother called about a month ago to tell me that he was coming to town for a work trip – exhibiting and vending at a National Hot Wheels Convention – and that he needed day labor to help with selling. So, knowing that ICDC isn’t exactly a cheap adventure, I contacted the local Delta Epsilon Chi chapters and offered them an opportunity to earn cash for a few days of work! Last night, when I went to meet my brother for a late dinner, there at the cash register sat one of Northern Virginia Community College’s (NOVA) Delta Epsilon Chi leaders!

NOVA is a new chapter this year and I’ve worked with them a number of times to develop a program of work, to prepare for competition and participate in the small-but-great Virginia Career Development Conference, and now get ready for ICDC. It is exciting to see them having such success and the even better part is learning of their efforts to prepare for more growth in the coming years.

Fundraising is such a key to having the flexibility to participate in community, social and competitive events. What this Hot Wheels Convention reminded me of is that there are lots of conferences that come through local convention centers that need workers. See what kind of opportunity exists in your area – visit the convention center and try to get your chapter listed on the short “call list” for when conventions are coming to town and need to hire help. It could be a quick and easy way to earn some chapter funds!

Good luck fundraising and we’ll see you in California!

Kyle Walton
Assistant Director, Delta Epsilon Chi

Music Marketing Challenge: Win a FREE Concert on Your Campus!

Working with our business partners brings exciting educational opportunities and rewards in the form of student scholarships, cash prizes, special events and international awards recognition. To keep these opportunities and rewards coming, however, we need your active support and involvement. One of our newest ICDC business partners, Rocket Science & Park-the-Van, have sponsored a Music Marketing Challenge. This creative new competition allows you to:
· Apply your academic prowess to a real-world challenge!· Develop a creative plan for a creative industry - the music industry!· Compete and win - the winning campus gets a free concert in the Spring or Fall! We've heard that many of you love the project, but want to devote more time than is available this year. We appreciate your devotion, but ask that you try to participate - if even minimally. We'd hate to loose this partner for lack of participation - especially when it's a program in which you've identified value and expressed interest. Don't miss out on the fun, the value and the reward! The competition has begun!

2009 Culinary Management Institute

Will your team be crowned the Delta Epsilon Chi, Culinary ManagementInstitute "Safeway Tailgating Titans"?

Join us for a fun, challenging, and educationalhands-on culinary contest that combines not onlyyour prowess in the art of outdoor grilling, but also your skills at marketingyour creation to the customers of one of the world's largest supermarketchains. Competition will be at the impressive Anaheim Hilton in SouthernCalifornia as part of the Delta Epsilon Chi International Career DevelopmentConference.

Your team of 3 contestants will not only need to be great on the grill whereyou will earn 50% of your score, but also adept with pricing / costingstrategies and marketing concepts to earn the other half. Thanks to thegenerous sponsorship of Safeway the first place team will walk away with$1,000 to share! The second place team takes $750 and the third place teamwill share $500. Thanks Safeway!

The following will give you some details to think about and perhaps some tipsfor practicing:
* Create and prepare a recipe that will feed 4 adults at a tailgating event* Develop a new twist on an old favorite or something completely new* Each team will get to spend $30 at the local Vons (Safeway) grocery store* Create a name for your team without using the word "Titans"* Create a name for your recipe without using the word "Titans"* Winning recipes will be posted online at http://www.deltaepsilonchi.org/

Hint: you may not know the type of protein you are using until the morning ofthe contest - your team might be assigned chicken, pork, beef, or seafood -all teams might have the same protein or each team might be given theirprotein from a random drawing.
Space is limited so be sure to sign up by March 26!If you have any questions about your eligibility or have concerns about thedue date, contact Jeff Collins (Jeff_Collins@deca.org) for assistance.

Get ready for ICDC and the competitive events

Get Ready for ICDC and the competitive events


The competitive events of Delta Epsilon Chi are part of a foundation of marketing education that, Delta Epsilon Chi gives to us the student participants. The competitive events are set up in three main sections. The first section is Business Simulations, second is Case Studies, and third is Pre-prepared Events. These events are designed to give members real life business experience, and prepare us for the competitive world of commerce that we are living in today.
No matter what events you are competing in competition will give you the edge in the business world. With ICDC just around the corner we encourage everyone to take some additional time to prepare for their competitive event.

Preparation Ideas-

1. Get together with a friend; look up old events, and role play. There is nothing better than preparing for competition with past cases. Click here to get past events

Remember that competition is a lot like rock climbing, it can be a lot of fun if you are willing to prepare, but if you don’t… you may fall. Be prepare, and reach the top of the competition Mountain.

2. If you can use books and materials on your event, than dig into the books that relate to your topic and review that information. When you are in the competition you will have a fresh outlook. You will also know right were to turn for additional insight as you will have just went through the topic sections a few weeks prior.

3. Professionalism is performance, if you show up and you have prepared how you want to act and the way you want to look you will have success. Make sure that your clothing is pressed and the colors match… it really is a big deal. Make sure that you are polished, no gum, hair neat, and clean breath. These are simple things but when all the scores are tallied and his breath was bad and yours was fresh you may be the winner.

4. Last but not least remember that you have the power to Make Your Mark this year, and ICDC is one of the best places to do that.

Post by: Steve Hanson

Delta Epsilon Chi, President

Get Ready....It's Crunch Time !!!!

What have you done THIS WEEK to Recruit a New Member to join you at the 2009 International Career Development Conference?
The higher the membership numbers we have, the more people benefit from the fun, excitement and experience that we know as Delta Epsilon Chi!The membership deadline has come and gone, but you should still encourage friends and classmates to join Delta Epsilon Chi. Listed below are the many different ways that you and your friends can still benefit from membership in Delta Epsilon Chi this year:
Take the Management Challenge at this year's National Management Institute! Become a Tailgating Titan as part of the Culinary Management Institute! Participate in the Entrepreneurship Challenge! Visit Universal Studios Hollywood as part of our Opening Session Event! Haven't been able to find an advisor? Dealing with an odd situation? Just want to go and don't know how to make it happen? Contact us and we will try to work something out. Remember the only person that can Make their Mark is you... let's see you make it happen! Delta Epsilon Chi's International Career Development Conference
Bring Your Competition Team!
How do you showcase more of your school's programs and students on an international stage? Download and share this competition team document with friends in other academic programs on your campus and bring more competitors to the International Career Development Conference as part of your competition team! Have you ever considered what it takes to move from success in the classroom to success in the real world? Put your experience and knowledge to the test! The Competitive Events Program includes nearly 20 career areas that break down into four focused teams: bring teams to compete in Business Management & Administration; Marketing; Hospitality, Travel & Tourism; and Integrated Marketing Communications. You get the chance to compete against your peers for top international honors and participate in industry seminars, hear from industry professionals, and network for career success in our career fair. There are few hands-on learning experiences that can touch the quality and education that Delta Epsilon Chi brings to attendees at this International Career Development Conference, bring your competition team and earn accolades for your school. Conference details available here. We'll see you in Anaheim, California April 22-25, 2009.
Professional Development Academies Connecting the Classroom to the Boardroom You have the opportunity to interact with Corporate Representatives in your chosen industries/career path and really learn from these industry professionals! From a panel of successful business men and women to an interactive seminar speaking directly to the opportunities and challenges facing each industry, there is no better place for you to ask the tough questions and get answers that give you a competitive advantage in today's marketplace. Marketing Academy Business Management & Administration Academy Hospitality, Travel & Tourism Academy Integrated Marketing Communications Academy Each Academy will have a featured presenter, career panel and employers looking to hire from our Career Fair. Come and gain the edge that connects you from the Classroom to the Boardroom.
Have You Submitted for Awards & Recognition? Due dates are approaching fast for award recognition at this year's ICDC. Let potential employers know how involved and successful you have been this year by being recognized through Delta Epsilon Chi's awards program. All applications are available in your Guide to Conferences and Programs.

Award:
Due Date:Chapter Leadership Award March 1
State Leadership Award March 1
Community Service Award March 1
Passport Award March 1

Inauguration Day

- January 20, 2009 (Inauguration Day)


Sunday I returned from Los Angeles having finished an ICDC planning and membership development trip and as the very full plane touched down in Washington D.C. there was a huge cheer and boisterous clapping from all of its occupants. On the eve of Martin Luther King Jr. Day and this history making Inauguration Day, the crowd, the energy and the excitement was palpable. Regardless of your politics, it is new energy in the people that this change is inspiring that inspires me to find new ways of contributing to the drive, the purpose and the vision of our collective future.

There are moments when I am coaching start-up chapters and answering questions from would-be new members that I become crest-fallen by what seems to be an attitude of, “if it exists I’ll join… if it doesn’t then its not going to happen for me.” Is it a generation who’s attitude is controlled by a need for instant gratification and a sense of entitlement? Somehow, I don’t think that can be the pervasive expression of the generation but it certainly is a prominent message that I hear. Personally, I was raised believing that anything worth having is worth working for and that it is my own responsibility to create a future worth having. The idea of instant gratification is a farce; delayed and earned gratification however, the reward that follows the sometimes-tedious labor, is truly what living a life of purpose, ambition and success is all about.

There are also moments however when I hear from start-up chapters asking very specific questions because they’ve already done the hard work to get started. These are stories like Indiana University that grew in its first semester of existence from a single individual’s desire to continue his DECA experience to a chapter of 35 members. Which brought a large group to the Collegiate Leadership Academy and just today called to ask for help connecting with DECA alumni on each of the “Big 10” campuses for their newly conceived idea of hosting a “Big 10 Delta Epsilon Chi Competition” in preparation for the international conference. Other stories like the University of New Haven also a brand new chapter that already has 28 members and is taking on the task of working with Connecticut DECA to bring in the future generations to their emerging chapter.

It is in these moments that I am inspired by what should define the next generation of business leaders and visionaries. These are individuals who embrace hard work as a necessary and valuable motivator for accomplishing their goals. These are individuals who ask, “how do I overcome?” instead of reaching a barrier and stopping in their tracks.

It is individuals like these that shape stories of a new generation who understand that they must work and contribute in order to receive personal reward. These people inspire me and give me hope that what little I do to support their efforts, to answer their questions, and to continue to create Delta Epsilon Chi programming that may teach them new lessons and connect them with other soon-to-be business leaders, brings value to the community that I care so much about.

Whether you work to serve your own chapter, your own campus, your own community, or reach higher and perhaps taken on the mantle of state or national leader, I hope that you are also inspired by the actions of your peers to come away from an attitude that expects instant gratification and move instead towards the understanding that you alone are in control of your destiny and that you alone can make a difference by serving the needs of your Delta Epsilon Chi community through hard work, dedication and steadfastness.

Today, be inspired. Today, build on the energy of those around you. Today, embrace a new beginning, a new attitude, and work hard and long to achieve a new purpose. You alone can turn vision into reality by embracing the opportunities afforded to you through your education and your membership in organizations like ours.

Kyle Walton
Assistant Director, Delta Epsilon Chi

Teamwork is what Delta Needs!

Recently I was put in a situation working with someone who really pushed my buttons because he came into a work area that I had been in for about four years and acted as if he knew more than I did about the entire company. My father had been running another chain of this same restaurant throughout my whole life and I had been going and helping him at work since I could walk. When someone else tried to come in, and not only tell me what to do, but tell me how to do my job, I was not only threatened but highly agitated. This person’s confidence had brought a whole new meaning to the saying “fake it til’ you make it”. As I continued to work with this new person, I realized that he was just as threatened by me, as I was by him. He knew all the textbook rules and regulations, but had no idea how to put them into practice without offending people who had been with the company for many years. After a while, the new person realized that he was not getting anywhere by bossing people around with textbook answers and that he just needed to go with the flow and remind people of the regulations every once in a while.
This relates to Delta Epsilon Chi every day. There are those people who come into your chapter that know all the rules and regulations from either high school DECA or from researching Delta Epsilon Chi, but they don’t know how to handle the chapter, because chapters are made up of people, not robots. They don’t always do what you want or what they say they are going to, but they have been there for a while, so you need to go with the flow and remember they do have feelings. Members of Delta Epsilon Chi don’t take kindly to pushing and shoving (much like people in the business world). By adding everyone’s strengths and weaknesses together, you gain an entire entity that we call a chapter. This is what the leaders of Delta Epsilon Chi have come together to do – create a chapter where everyone has a chance to contribute. So remember to give everyone a chance, help them out when they need it, and take help when someone gives it.
-Samantha NARVP

Money, money, money... what do you do when low on funds?

Hello everyone!
I was talking to Steve today and realized that there is so much to do in the start of the new year. Steve talked about setting goals and keeping old ones. My biggest challenge starting this new semester in school will be keeping up the enthusiasm that everyone had for Delta Epsilon Chi and their chapters in the fall. Yes, ICDC is getting closer and people are getting pumped up about that, but they are also getting bummed out because of the money situation.
I am trying to brainstorm ways of helping people out with their fundraising issues. The members from across the country are extremely creative in the ways that they raise money. They take different spins on the old faithful fundraisers, like adding in new themes to their bake sales or car washes. They also think of new ways to raise money like indoor mini golf courses with each hole sponsored by a different company. These inventive ideas can be spread by just talking to people from across the country.
So, go onto facebook or send emails to different schools. Swap ideas and raise money. I guarantee you it will be worth all of the hard work to get to Anaheim.
-Samantha NARVP

New Year ...New Goals, and Renewed Drive!!!

With the New Year fast approaching and the old coming to a close it’s the time to review how we did with the goals of 2008. I personally did horrible on my workout program; I will need to set that goal up again and create steps to help me to make sure I find success this coming year. I did however do really well with my educational goals as I made sure that I kept my grades right where I wanted them.
It is always fun to review the past goals, the past year, and one of the greatest things that you can review is your Delta Epsilon Chi program of work. Review what you have accomplished, what could have been done better, then review what you will do better. This process of reviewing can help you to have great Delta Epsilon Chi success. The great part about reviewing the program of works is that you still have half of the school year to make things happen and get the POW goals accomplished. You can also look at the goals that were set, and meet with your team to determine if some of them are unreasonable and may need to be dropped. You can also consider the possibility that new goals may need to be added to the work load. No matter what goals you review and new ones you create make sure to review your Program of Work and recognize what will make the second half of the Delta Epsilon Chi Year a super success.

Finding Time For Christmas and Family

Holy Cow…. Life is busy busy. With Finals finishing up and Christmas on the way it is so hard know where one day starts and the next begins. In this crazy time of year I always try to take a step back and slow it down a little so that I can enjoy the holidays with friends and family. So many times we will catch ourselves starting to work crazy hours again, or taking on new projects, but we have to keep telling ourselves that it is our families and friends that help us to perform well in school, Delta Epsilon Chi, and at our places of employment all year long. We should give them this special season. Take time this year, not just to service the community or Delta Epsilon Chi, but your families and your friends. Let your loved ones understand how important they are to you. Take time to think of what you can do to make this season one to remember.

Happy Christmas

From
Steve Hanson

Delta Epsilon Chi...Thanks

Just and update!

I have been busy as can be the last two weeks as my wife and I were just able to introduce are new baby boy into the world. His name is Grayson Stephen Everest Hanson. He was 8 pounds 5 ounces and 21 inches long. He is a fun little guy and is very animated. It’s truly amazing to watch him and have a new outlook on life. Thank you all for the great amount of support and kindness that you have shown to my little family. Delta Epsilon Chi students are always willing to care and you have truly shown it to us these past two weeks.

Thanks to everyone,

Steve Hanson

One of those days...

Have you ever just had one of those days where everything that happens is slightly less than perfect? You wake up and you know that there is something that is not quite right. This happened to me about four days in a row and I was looking for something to get me out of this rut that I seemed to have my foot cemented in. I found out that I forgot to write things down when I should have, I didn’t know the answers when asked questions, and I would forget the simplest things that would push my life off kilter just enough to annoy myself and everyone around me.
How do you change this? Well, I’m just beginning to find out is that you have to have a positive attitude and a different outlook on everything that happens. If you (excuse me for being cliché) take everything with a grain of salt. Remember that things are going to go wrong, you are going to forget things, and you can’t change everything. For example, I woke up this morning and looked at my phone (for some reason my roommate and I don’t have an alarm clock in our room), and realized that it is 9:45. Well this is odd, because I remember setting my alarm for 8 a.m. because I have class at 9:30 and I needed to get ready and get some things ready before my classes that day. I take a double look at the alarm I set and realize that I set it for 8 p.m. and therefore, was not awoken by it. At first, I got really aggrevated, because I had missed my first class and basically wasted the first half of my day. Later on in the day, after I had caught up on my tasks, I realized that I needed a couple of extra hours of sleep after staying up to study for an exam I had that day. This little bit extra sleep gave me a more cognitive mind and helped me focus on the things I had to do for the rest of the day. It’s issues like these and not having a sharpened pencil that really made my day bad, until I realized that these are not events that should not dictate whether my day is satisfactory or not. I don’t have control over these inconvenient things that happen in my life, but I do have control over my reaction to them.
With a positive attitude (and perhaps a good night’s sleep), you can have the worst luck in the world and still have a good day!

Samantha
NARVP

Recruit. Retain. Grow!

When I joined the DECA staff a few years ago to serve as the assistant director of the college division, membership recruitment was the furthest thing from my mind. My experience as a student member, an officer, and as an alumni supporter was always focused on the quality programming that Delta Epsilon Chi offers its members. Whether I was receiving the benefits, promoting the benefits or delivering the benefits – it was simply so obvious to me the value that membership in Delta Epsilon Chi brings to students that it never occurred to me that everyone else wasn’t out there shouting from the rafters and bringing new members in every single day – after all, I always did that because I believed in the program. (The IT folks at Johnson & Wales in Denver hated me because each morning I’d reset the homepage on every computer in the business building to the Delta Epsilon Chi website – I’ll bet they were pleased when I graduated!)

But, sitting at my desk in the national headquarters in Reston, VA – there is a very different picture painted. I get emails from frustrated members saying, “Where are you?” “Why aren’t you on my campus recruiting?” and “Who is my advisor?” My politically correct response is always, “the staff can’t be everywhere so here are some resources for you to use to start and develop your chapter.” Honestly though, I’m frustrated too. I want to be on every campus hanging up posters, marking up sidewalks with chalk, holding rallies and collecting membership dues! But there simply isn’t enough time or money to send staff to every chapter – let alone to be out starting new chapters all the time. We do all that we can to support membership development while also working really hard to provide innovative, in-depth, hands-on career and leadership programming.

So who’s job is it to find an advisor? To recruit new members? To plan high-quality on-campus activities?

It’s YOUR JOB!!!!!

YOU! The interested, dedicated, career-seeking college student.
YOU! The chapter officer, committee member or wannabe leader.
YOU! The individual who believes in the value that membership can bring to students and wants to bring that value not only to your own college career but also to the academic experience of your peers.
YOU! Who wants to set himself or herself apart from your peers as you interview for new jobs.
YOU! Who wants to leave a legacy of action, opportunity and success when you graduate and leave your college campus.

The National Officers and the staff are here to support your efforts. There are membership PowerPoint presentations, recruiting flyers and information all available on our website. Have you seen our new membership video? Ask to play it at the beginning of freshmen and sophomore business classes and I’ll bet you’ll have a league of new members lining up to join. Have questions? Email me! Or call! We are all here to support the membership growth efforts of our chapter members.
We are here to support YOU! Happy Recruiting!!

Kyle Walton
Kyle_walton@deca.org

Helping your new members to find their place.

This past week has been a wonderful adventure in the world of Delta Epsilon Chi for me. 8 flights and 5 days later I returned home from visiting and participating in the Minnesota's Professional Leadership Conference and Missouri’s Fall Leadership Conference. It was truly a great opportunity to network and learn from the students and leadership of these great associations. One thing I found that was very interesting, to me, was the large number of new participating members that we had at the conferences. It was wonderful to see the new growth and get a breath of fresh air. I also realized that this meant we had a lot of work to do as student leaders on the local, state, and national level to help these new members to understand the organizations and their role in the big picture of Delta Epsilon Chi. I reflected on this and came up with 3 steps to help new members feel welcome and important:

1. Information: If they don’t know, they won’t go. So many times we want the members of our chapters to work along side us and put forth an effort to strengthen their understanding of Delta Epsilon Chi and the business world. However the problem, so many times, is that they are not aware of the information they need to be effective and they don’t know where to find it. We, as students, need to study the information ourselves and be ready to assist our new members in understanding it as well. If we do this then we know what to do to be effective. www.deltaepsilonchi.org
2. Friend: Have you ever gone to a party and found that you didn’t feel accepted or that you felt like you didn’t know any one. This has happened to me even though I was invited to the party by a few different people. When I got there they were more interested in other things then helping me to feel welcome. I also have been to parties where I have felt so welcome and part of the group. What was the difference? The difference was that at one party they invited me but didn’t make me feel that way once I got their, and the other group helped me feel that I was part of the group from the first minute I arrived on the scene. Be that person to make others feel welcome, be a friend, be the ONE
3. Responsibility: This is a job for every member. This gives your members the chance to service and to give back. This helps them to feel needed and wanted. It gives them the opportunity to feel and know that they are a vital part of the chapter team and they should continue to participate.

By using these steps effectively, we can better support our new members and help them to feel needed in their Delta Epsilon Chi activities. I would encourage all Delta Epsilon Chi leaders to become very aware of the programs and projects that are available via http://www.deltaepsilonchi.org/ . Make sure that your new members understand how they can be part of, not just the project, but feel that they are an effective part of their local chapter or team. It is a year for growth. Let’s not just see growth in the membership numbers but also in our new members and ourselves.

My DECA Experience

In the past few weeks, I have had the honor to participate in two DECA conferences, Colorado’s Fall Leadership Conference and a District Competition Preparation. At the Fall Leadership Conference, held on my college campus, I was asked to speak at the opening and closing ceremonies, facilitate a workshop on competition, and greet the advisors. My favorite part of the day was sharing my experiences with DECA members, advisors, and my school’s administration. The experiences that I shared proved that student organization make a difference in our education and ultimately our career path. The most rewarding experience during this day was seeing my fellow Delta Epsilon Chi members facilitate teambuilding activities with the state and district officer teams. Through our member’s excitement and leadership ability, high school DECA members were inquiring about continuing their involvement in college. Witnessing the connection being established between the high school and college division brought a huge smile to my face. I know that not everyone in Delta Epsilon Chi was involved in DECA or with national student organizations while in high school. However both the high school and college division have the same goal… to develop and enhance tomorrow’s leaders. Each of us reaching out to our local high school DECA community will create a strong relationship between the two divisions. Weather it be to help at conferences, mentoring a marketing class, preparing members for competition, or simply showing them about college choices, we are making a difference in the lives of students, advisors, and ultimately impacting our organization.

-Jamie

The enthusiasm rises again...

So, I’m not sure how many of you know that after graduating from high school and before starting college, I spent a whole year traveling around the world with an international community service organization called Up With People. It was a year like no other in terms of the experiences that I had and learned from, and the impact they made then, and continue to make now, on my life. Over the summer I attended my 10-year reunion and reconnected with Up With People alumni from my group and other Up With People alumni from many other years (there were people celebrating their 40th anniversary!). Just this past week I received the commemorative DVD from the reunion and popped it into my player. It was like doing it all again – I laughed, I cried, I jumped up and danced along with my group (and myself) and sang along with so much enthusiasm (and volume) that I’m sure my neighbors were cringing at my lack of vocal skill.
(oh yeah – Up With People is a community service and performing group – forgot to mention that part. Check it out: http://www.upwithpeople.org/)
Before the video was done I found myself jumping to my feet and exclaiming, “How do I get involved again?” And it was right at that moment that I realized which other organization played such an important and life-shaping role in my life – Delta Epsilon Chi. And so I asked another question, “How do I get today’s members as excited as I am right now about the experiences available to them through Delta Epsilon Chi?” and, “How do I find alumni to be as supportive of the organization, as supportive as I want to be for Up With People?”

For me, the true value of my time in Up With People and my time here with Delta Epsilon Chi has been both the ideology of the organizations who’s missions ring true to my heart and mind, and the community of people associated with each organization. But in both groups I learned one very important lesson, I had to put work, effort, time and energy IN to the organization – only then I was able to get so much OUT.

So I pose these questions to you – members and advisors:

1. How do we get YOU excited and able to participate in all the experiences and programs available to you as members?

2. How do we get our ALUMNI excited and ready to support Delta Epsilon Chi members and advisors?

3. What have YOU put into the organization recently and what do YOU want to get back out of it?

I’m curious to hear your thoughts! Comment here on our blog or email me!

-Kyle

The Real Rewards

Seeing new chapters start is one of the most rewarding things about my position as the North Atlantic Region Vice President. We work with existing chapters and their day to day activities all the time, and seeing them take their chapters to higher levels is rewarding as well, but seeing a brand new chapter up and running is one of the greatest feelings.
I traveled to the University of New Haven, who recently started a chapter, during Delta Epsilon Chi week. I met with their current president and the executive board. They all have an extreme dedication to not only the organization, but to each other. They have gone through all of the somewhat tedious steps, the paperwork, the gathering of members, community service and fundraising. They work together to make the organization functional, but they inspire the members to believe in it.
When the members started piling into the room, I was surprised at how many of them had not participated in DECA in high school and were sold on the organization when they were approached by the president and the other members of the executive board. They wanted to know more about what they could do to better their chapter, what they had to do to be the best, and what they could do to help the organization as a whole. I gave them all of the information I could and then I asked them what ideas they had come up with for fundraising and community service. They came up with fashion shows, mini golf, bracelets to help support an injured student, and so many other creative ideas. After the meeting, I expressed how proud and amazed I was with everything they had done. They seemed to be surprised by what I said because they saw it as an ordinary way of life.
This common theme of people going above and beyond because they wouldn’t think about doing it differently, is something that I see all the time in this position. I truly believe that this is the reason people, especially myself, are attracted to Delta Epsilon Chi. Is there someone in your chapter that truly leads by example and amazes you every day? Nominate them for one of the many awards that Delta Epsilon Chi has to offer at http://www.deltaepsilonchi.org/student_awards.html.
Are you one of the people who go above and beyond? You should consider running for a NATIONAL OFFICE! Contact any of your national officers for information on not only the process on running, but about what it truly entails.

Click Here for the New Membership Promo Film!!!

I remember summer nights of playing hide-and-go-seek with all the neighborhood children. I remember they were looking for me and I was hiding or vice versa. This is a lot like being a member of Delta Epsilon Chi… we are always trying to find additional people to join the organization but sometimes they are hiding. In the early years of life I became clever and used a flashlight to seek out the children that I could not find and it served as a great tool. Today, as in the hide-and-go-seek of yesteryear, we have tools that are made available to help us to spot the individuals that should and could be great members of Delta Epsilon Chi. This promo Film is just one of the many tools that will help us Make our Mark on this great year. Please use this video and let us know how you used it. We will then share that information with other students that are trying to find effective ways to market Delta Epsilon Chi at their local chapters.

Opportunities are readily available to all students of Delta Epsilon Chi because of all the amazing companies that are participating as our business partners. I have to admit I had a somewhat bias opinion in regards to what our sponsors had to offer students, especially one company in particular, Valpak. I totally thought they would hire people to be managers over a team of envelope packers or something like that. I was sorely mistaken and was able to gain a great understanding of what they truly offer to the members of Delta Epsilon Chi by visiting them just a couple of weeks ago in St. Petersburg, Florida.
It was an amazing trip and one that I will never forget, now let me tell you how it all happened. I was able to talk with Mark Liston, the Valpak representative to Delta Epsilon Chi during a conference in Anaheim, California. As we visited we talked about the importance of helping students to understand and to know what the National Advisory Board’s companies offer to students and understand that they are truly here to help us to have success in our schooling, competition, and future careers. I was then invited to visit Mark Liston and Valpak for a two-day trip to Florida to gain a better understanding of what careers they had available and how Delta Epsilon Chi students could succeed with Valpak. It was an eye opening two day adventure, I learned that they are using so much green technology, they are giving back to the community all the time as they work with Habitat for Humanity. I also learned that they are hiring students to participate in a highly competitive, high volume sales force that offers great compensation, and super benefits. Overall it was amazing. I encourage any seniors that are participating in Delta Epsilon Chi that like the sound of working with great people, great product, and for a great outcome, to contact me at steve_president@deltaepsilonchi.org and I would love to give you additional information.

Opportunities for internships, part-time (in school) employment and full-time career starting positions are available with many of our National Advisory Board partners. Visit our website at: http://www.deca.org/nab_index.html to learn more about our corporate partners and their hiring practices.