As the spotlight finds junior Aaditya Jain, he hears his name called and strides forward, waving to the audience. The crowd quickly erupts into cheers and applause as he’s declared the California Vice President of DECA.
Jain’s journey with DECA began in his freshman year when his older sister introduced him to the club. Watching her compete in the International Career Development Conference, Jain became fascinated by the events and decided to join.
“Because I didn’t have a CTE course my freshman year, my sophomore year was the first year that I was able to actively compete and go to conferences,” Jain said.
Jain’s sophomore year was his first year of actively competing in DECA and where he was able to see some success. He won first place at districts for his event and was able to qualify for the ICDC.
After heavily competing and participating in DECA for a year, Jain wanted to increase his involvement and decided to take on the role of director of principles. This position involved working closely with first-year members, guiding them as they prepared for conferences.
“I had two students who placed first and second and a lot of overall finalists,” Jain said. “I was really happy. It’s great to see that they had a lot of success.”
After witnessing former Lynbrook DECA officers apply for state and chapter positions, Jain was inspired to do the same. He eventually settled on applying for the VP of leadership role as it fits perfectly with his strong interest in leadership. Outside of DECA, Jain participated in many leadership roles such as being a part of ASB and heading different clubs.
“I think what really attracted me to that role was the ability to be able to give back those same leadership development opportunities that I was really fortunate to receive from DECA and ASB,” Jain said.
To be eligible to apply for this position, Jain had to first take a test about California DECA and its history. At the district conference, he had to partake in an interview, which allowed him to move on to the next round of the application process. Finally, Jain had to create a 36-page portfolio filled with letters of recommendation, goals, plans and qualifications.
“I had to make sure my portfolio also had unique segments that showed off my personality,” Jain said.
In addition to the portfolio, Jain had to create a campaign booth to demonstrate his interactions with members, a crucial aspect of being an approachable state officer.
“They want someone that DECA members will reach out to if they want help with something,” Jain said.
As a state officer, Jain’s responsibilities include participating in district conferences and attending leadership development conferences such as the Emerging Leaders summit or Western Region Leadership conference. At these conferences, Jain is a representative for California DECA to showcase what they do and what they teach.
Jain plays a crucial role in the state officer team by leading creative and innovative initiatives, particularly in the creation of new events and planning activities at conferences. Currently, Jain is actively involved in several projects, including managing a scholarship program that supports DECA members who face financial barriers to competition and organizing fundraising efforts to support them. He also creates “Impact awards,” which are informal recognitions for California DECA members and are often spotlighted through blogs.
“These are different kinds of activities that aren’t exactly given a DECA glass or an award for onstage, but they are notable achievements that we want to recognize for these people in chapters,” Jain said.
A focus for Jain this year is launching a new membership campaign. Because DECA’s past approach of promoting their club in November resulted in less membership, Jain plans to initiate a member advocacy campaign earlier this year. By doing so, Jain hopes to increase visibility and attract students who may not have previously considered joining DECA.
One of Jain’s favorite aspects of serving as a DECA state officer is the opportunity to connect with like-minded peers who want to make similar changes in their community and bring forward the same goals. Aside from his team. Jain also has the opportunity to meet with the State Board of Education and connect with California state leaders.
“I’m really excited to be invited to these opportunities, and not only be allowed to present, but also to learn at these conferences and connect with others,” Jain said.
For Jain, the most challenging part of being a state officer is the expectation that can be placed on him to constantly be a role model.
“It can be difficult sometimes to keep up with the expectation to always be a star student,” Jain said. “But I think it’s good and that it pushes me to do better and be better. And I guess to also be someone that California DECA members can look up to.”
Throughout Jain’s time as a state officer, he hopes to attain three overarching goals: increasing membership, helping more people build their leadership skills, and providing a more memorable DECA experience.
“I’m really grateful that I will be able to serve this term,” Jain said. “And I’m excited to make a difference within California DECA.”
