This year, Greeley West High School’s Future Business Leaders of America start off the new school year with new ideas. Business teacher Ms. Julie Ratliff and FBLA/DECA students came up with an idea to combine FBLA and DECA this year.
Ratliff mentioned that DECA and FBLA had a lot of similarities between each club and that they really help compliment each other. The decision was to help bring each club together so students have a wider variety of what they want to partake in with business in the future. “We’re combining them together to allow students more opportunities to network and compete in more business competitions,” Ratliff explained.
Bringing together both clubs brought together great learning opportunities at state-wide competitions. Having DECA in the fall and FBLA in the spring allows students to have the opportunity to learn from past competitions and put them into future competitions in the spring. It’s creating building blocks for future business students to learn and grow and be prepared for the next competition.
Senior and four-year FBLA member, Grace Cunningham also had a big role in putting together FBLA and DECA. She mentioned how this will be able to help future members for each club to be able to learn and build off each other with similar ideas for each club. “If you do one, you’ll probably be doing the other. So it’s just easier that way. Plus it’s easier only having one teacher,” Cunningham explained.
New incoming FBLA/DECA members are excited for the club and what it will prepare them for, for the future with working with business and what to expect. Sophomore Sam Sasaki talked about how his passions drove him towards FBLA/DECA. “Business is something I’m passionate about and it’s something I see doing in the future,” Sasaki said.
