Sitting among 5,000 California DECA members in an award ceremony, she heard “Mama DECA,” and ran out of her seat yelling “Oh my, that’s me! That’s me! Is that really me?”

Other Silicon Valley chapter presidents stood up for her, screamed from excitement and ran to hug her. She had just won California Student of the Year. For her, this was one of the best feelings she had ever felt.

“While I became president out of a true love for this chapter and this organization, receiving a plaque for all the long hours feels pretty good,” she said.

Savi Joshi, Chief Executive Officer of the Harker DECA chapter, initially joined DECA for the competition and business opportunity. She later realized that DECA was her second family, and continued for the next four years because of the innovative and entrepreneurial atmosphere.

Growing from a nine-member club to the largest student organization on campus, Savi credits the team’s success to the entire chapter’s strong work ethic and passion.

Graduating in two months, Savi finds it hard to wrap her head around leaving her officer team who have put a lot of work into this chapter to lead it to success.

However, she hopes for Harker DECA to continue as a chapter, not just numerically, but also competitively. She hopes for the officers to always remember why they love DECA and remember that every second serving a 100 to 200 person chapter is worth it.

“When we walk into competition, I want Harker to be that school that everyone loves, yet fears at the same time,” she said. “The chapter that everyone respects.”

Most people view Savi as the person that barely has any time to breathe, since she not only is the Harker DECA CEO but also the Senior Class President. However, taking on these positions has taught her to budget her time, space out her workload and plan ahead.

“I just want them to enjoy this final stretch of high school with the other 186 students who’ve been with them through some of the hardest years before legally becoming an adult,” she said.

As Savi’s Harker life comes to a close, she doesn’t know what her impact will be on the community. Although she is often known for her eccentric mannerisms or overabundance of affection, Savi didn’t come to high school to change anything; she simply wanted to get through these four years.

To her, high school takes one on a roller coaster where one is trying to figure everything out, but so is everyone else.

“It’s that process of trying to figure it out altogether that makes high school so memorable, and all I want is to help everyone around me in the best way I can,” she said. “While it’s hard to realize such a huge chapter of our lives is ending, it’s time for a new page.”