MERRIMACK – This year at Merrimack High School, future businessmen and women are honing their leadership skills through a growing organization called DECA.

DECA is an acronym for Distributive Education Clubs of America, and is straighter forward than its name alludes to. DECA is a worldwide high school and collegiate extracurricular program that prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality and management.

DECA members compete at competitions at which they pitch business cases and problem solve on the fly while growing their business knowledge. The DECA students at Merrimack High School are currently preparing for the state competition in February. This competition has more than 50 events in which students can compete. Last year, nine students from Merrimack finished in the top three in their respective events, qualifying for the International Career Development Conference in Atlanta.

Some of these students are planning a career outside business, yet they still find many benefits in the program, such as networking, personal speaking and presenting skills. One such MHS student, Noah Beygelman, finished second in the principles of marketing category last year. He is attracted to DECA primarily because he is able to hone his leadership skills.

“DECA is an organization geared towards preparing future leaders not just in the realm of business management, marketing and finance, but also in the vast world after schooling by teaching the fundamental principles of how to communicate properly with peers, as well as honing one’s innate sense of confidence via presentation, practice and presentation,” Beygelman said.

MHS DECA is more than business best practices and case studies; it’s also about giving back to the community. For example, the MHS DECA chapter started off the year participating in the Muscular Dystrophy Association Muscle Walk in September, and then participated in a canned good drive for the New Hampshire Food Bank in October.

MHS DECA chapter adviser Tammy Lambrou said she believes these community service projects have helped increase awareness and membership.

“Merrimack DECA has continued to grow over the past seven years through community service projects and leadership,” Lambrou said. “I am excited to see what the rest of the year brings at the Sport and Entertainment Conference, as well as the state competition in February.”

The DECA program at Merrimack High continues to draw new and committed members who are eager to win at the state competition and qualify for the nationals, which will be in April in Orlando, Fla. Other DECA students plan to attend the Sports and Entertainment Conference in Orlando in February.

For more information about DECA, visit www.deca.org or www.nhdeca.org and find out how you can join or start a chapter of your own.

For updates from Merrimack High DECA, follow @MerrimackHSDECA on Twitter.