South Mountain Community College's DECA chapter demonstrated strong competitive performance at the 2025 Arizona Collegiate DECA Fall Leadership Conference on November 15, hosting over 70 competitors from across the state.
Fardeen Imran and Stephanie Ramirez earned second place in the Business to Business Marketing event, competing against students from Arizona State University and several Maricopa Community Colleges. The event required participants to analyze a case study and deliver a presentation with role-play components before a panel of judges.
"This competition serves as essential preparation for our students," said Aaron Blau, Accounting Faculty and DECA advisor. "The Fall Leadership Conference is a preliminary practice event ahead of the Arizona Career Development Conference in February, which determines who qualifies for the International Career Development Conference in Louisville, Kentucky this April."
SMCC fielded the second-largest community college delegation at the conference, represented by State Vice President Juan Saenz, Chapter President Reyna Citlally, Vice President Erjon Tabaku, and members Stephanie Ramirez and Fardeen Imran.
Beyond developing business acumen and presentation skills, DECA competitions emphasize leadership development, professional networking, and real-world problem-solving abilities that employers actively seek in graduates. The case study format challenges students to think critically under pressure and articulate strategic solutions to authentic business scenarios.
DECA meets Tuesdays from 1 to 2 p.m. in BE151. The chapter welcomes students from all fields of interest who want to develop skills valued in today's competitive job market. Students and faculty interested in DECA are encouraged to join the Canvas course at https://learn.maricopa.edu/enroll/FE7DGT. Instructors interested in having a DECA representative speak to their class about the student organization can contact Aaron Blau at [email protected].