DECA

One of the very active organizations on campus is DECA, a group of students who are interested in business and entrepreneurship.  DECA is primarily for business students, though any student may join, and its purpose is to prepare students with practical hands-on experience for careers in business.

PTC’s DECA chapter was founded in October of 2014 and is one of 275 college chapters nationwide. It is part of an organization of 215,000 members with members in all 50 states.

At PTC, DECA members participate in many volunteer activities from the Pittsburgh Marathon to Irish Fest. Their role in these events from management to finance provides valuable experience in planning, managing and marketing a business enterprise. You will often see DECA students on campus wearing their distinctive DECA shirts running an event.

One of the major events DECA manages is BIZThreads, the campus business apparel store. This operation is designed to provide business apparel to students for interviews, presentations, and internships. The BIZThreads store is managed by DECA students who work with retailers and volunteers to gather merchandise, stock shelves, and handle the finances. Each term DECA students create a marketing campaign to publicize the store and attract potential customers. Every year, thousands of items of business apparel are collected and merchandised by DECA students.

One of the highlights of the DECA experience is the annual trip to the DECA conference. During the year DECA students raise funds so that a number of students can travel to the national conference. At the conference, PTC DECA students meet other chapters from around the nation, attend seminars, and participate in business activities.

“The objective of our DECA Chapter at PTC to develop emerging leaders and entrepreneurship” explains Marisa Haney faculty coordinator.

New members are welcome, and there is always room for an additional volunteer on one of the business projects.

Students who are interested in joining DECA can contact Tracie Brady at brady.tracie@ptcollege.edu.