The new year is good for business for Buncombe County Schools high school students. They are preparing to take their marketing skills to the North Carolina DECA Career Development Conference.
Marketing students from A.C. Reynolds, North Buncombe, Owen, and T.C. Roberson high schools got their first taste of competition earlier this school year at the Blue Ridge District event at Brevard College. Thrown into a business roleplay with only 10 minutes of preparation, each student had to save a fictional company and find solutions to impress their judge while showing business etiquette and strategy. Based on suggested guidelines, students could use their creativity to make graphs and business cards for extra points.
Since then, students have been analyzing their scores, brushing up on the latest business trends, and preparing to compete with students from across the state. The top finishers in each category there are eligible to move on to competition at the International Career Development Conference in Orlando.
A.C. Reynolds senior Ben Carpenter placed fourth overall in the Entrepreneurship category in Brevard, and achieved a top test score. “It’s a great opportunity to get competitive and think practically in a new setting,” he said, adding the experience has had a strong influence on his education and opened his eyes to future possibilities.
Last year, students from both North Buncombe and A.C. Reynolds students earned spots to attend the DECA international event.