![“[Building nerf blasters] became this outlet of creativity for me that hasn't been matched by anything else. The process [of] making a build complete to your desire is such a painstakingly difficult process, but I've had to learn from [the skills needed from] soldering to proper painting. There's so many different options for everything, if you think about it, it exists. The best part is [that] if it doesn't exist, you can build it yourself," Ishaan Parate said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/DSC_8149-900x604.jpg)
![“When I came into high school, I was ready to be a follower. But DECA was a game changer for me. It helped me overcome my fear of public speaking, and it's played such a major role in who I've become today. To be able to successfully lead a chapter of 150 students, an officer team and be one of the upperclassmen I once really admired is something I'm [really] proud of,” Anvitha Tummala ('21) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Screen-Shot-2021-07-25-at-9.50.05-AM-900x594.png)
![“I think getting up in the morning and having a sense of purpose [is exciting]. I think without a certain amount of drive, life is kind of obsolete and mundane, and I think having that every single day is what makes each day unique and kind of makes life exciting,” Neymika Jain (12) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Screen-Shot-2017-06-03-at-4.54.16-PM.png)
![“My slogan is ‘slow feet, don’t eat, and I’m hungry.’ You need to run fast to get where you are–you aren't going to get those championships if you aren't fast,” Angel Cervantes (12) said. “I want to do well in school on my tests and in track and win championships for my team. I live by that, [and] I can do that anywhere: in the classroom or on the field.”](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/DSC5146-900x601.jpg)
![“[Volleyball has] taught me how to fall correctly, and another thing it taught is that you don’t have to be the best at something to be good at it. If you just hit the ball in a smart way, then it still scores points and you’re good at it. You could be a background player and still make a much bigger impact on the team than you would think,” Anya Gert (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AnnaGert_JinTuan_HoHPhotoEdited-600x900.jpeg)
![“I'm not nearly there yet, but [my confidence has] definitely been getting better since I was pretty shy and timid coming into Harker my freshman year. I know that there's a lot of people that are really confident in what they do, and I really admire them. Everyone's so driven and that has really pushed me to kind of try to find my own place in high school and be more confident,” Alyssa Huang (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AlyssaHuang_EmilyChen_HoHPhoto-900x749.jpeg)
Upper school DECA attends LACE conference
Courtesy of Harker DECA
Feature keynote speaker Guy Kawasaki, former chief evangelist of Apple, addresses students about tips for success at LACE on Saturday morning. LACE was the upper school chapter’s first non-competitive conference of the year.
November 21, 2015
The upper school’s DECA chapter attended the organization’s Leadership and Competitive Excellence Conference (LACE) from Nov. 13 to 15 at the Doubletree Hilton in San Jose.
DECA students belonging to various Bay Area chapters congregated at the Doubletree Hilton to acquire professional skills, learn competitive excellence and participate in workshops involving a range of topics in the realm of entrepreneurship and finance.
In addition to learning about business topics, students had the opportunity to attend a dance, socialize with fellow attendees and watch a fashion show.
Though not a competitive conference, LACE provides students with skills needed to fare successfully in future DECA contests.
Juston Glass, Harker DECA chapter advisor and director of the Business and Entrepreneurship department, spoke about what students learn at the conference.
“Students learn how to network in a professional environment with people in industries such as fashion, hospitality, finance and marketing,” he said. “They also learn how to prepare for competitions, so when they compete with their business plans they can have a better foundation for competitive success.”
According to chapter CEO, Sophia Luo (12), Harker DECA now boasts over 120 active members, and is extremely popular among all grade levels, particularly freshmen. LACE serves as a perfect opportunity for new members to acquaint themselves with a conference environment.
Dolan Dworak (10), assistant executive director of Harker DECA, spoke about the advantages of attending the event.
“Students can learn many real-world skills that they can apply in both business and life,” he said. “I strongly encourage all freshmen to come to our other events to get on a path to business literacy.”
Saturday morning kicked off with a feature keynote by Guy Kawasaki, former chief evangelist of Apple and pronounced businessman in the valley. He gave a presentation regarding tips for success in the business world, including the importance of mutual agreement and compassion in any professional situation.
Students also participated in workshops which addressed marketing, financial services, entrepreneurship, hospitality and competitive events included in future DECA competitions.
Freshman Andrew Chang reflected on his experience at his first DECA conference.
“It has been an extremely great experience since it is my first DECA meeting,” he said. “It prepped me for competition and I learned how the events work, along with being given some really good advice.”
The last day of the conference finished off with a breakfast, a keynote by young businessman Tarun Galagali, a conference flashback and closing words from the Silicon Valley DECA leadership team.
Coming out of LACE, Harker DECA is in gear to compete at the upcoming Silicon Valley Conference this January.
This piece was originally published in the pages of The Winged Post on November 20, 2015.
