By Khrystyna Halatyma, Executive Features Editor

DECA is a business club at Prospect which focuses on finance, marketing, hospitality and tourism, business management and administration. It is open to all students, but a prerequisite of a business class is required. Prospect is also one of two schools in Illinois to have been named a Super Star chapter by IL DECA for having increased their by enrollment 100 percent, two years in a row.

At their regional competition, two Prospect students qualified for the international competition. Senior Jack Tuttle took first place and qualified in the Principles of Finance category and senior Julia Backes took fourth place and qualified in the Hospitality Management category.

According to DECA adviser Cathy Fortuna, last year 16,500 students participated in internationals from different countries including Germany, Guam, Puerto Rico and Canada.

When the team found out their teammates made it to internationals, everyone had their own reaction.

“It’s awesome. Imagine 1,400 kids in suits and everything, and there’s a professional DJ up there announcing the kids,” DECA adviser Paul Hennig said. “When [they] heard [their] names all the kids from Prospect jumped up and started yelling. It is an adrenaline rush for sure. As their advisers, we feel very proud of them.”

“[It was] very exciting, I ran up to take pictures,” Fortuna said.

“It was really sweet, I’m really excited to go [to internationals],” Tuttle said. “Fortuna tried to play it off like it was no big deal like ‘I knew the whole time,’ and Hennig was going nuts. Pretty much everyone was going crazy, it was a lot of fun. As soon as they called my name, everyone just stood up and went nuts.”

Internationals will be taking place in the beginning of May in Atlanta, Georgia. Throughout District 214, 18 students qualified for the international competition.