Ethan Li ‘26

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Over the summer of 2024, Cooper Peery ‘26 was hard at work hammering out the details for the new DECA Chapter that was to come to fruition at the start of the 2024 school year. After months of planning and thought, the club met for the first time on the 19th of August, and has since garnered numerous members.

Open to both Strake Jesuit and St. Agnes students, the club is a chapter of the national organization DECA, which stands for “Distributive Education Clubs of America.” DECA strives to prepare emerging leaders and entrepreneurs for future careers in marketing, finance, hospitality and management across high schools and colleges all around the globe.

Cooper decided to bring this mission to Strake Jesuit due to his personal interest in business and finance and his desire to spread that interest. “I found DECA as a great opportunity to open high schoolers to the business world,” Cooper said.

So far, the club has expanded to participating in a variety of different DECA competitions, including the Stock Market Game, roleplay games, and other events, in each of which DECA has high aspirations to place nationally. Cooper hopes that the club will grow in competitiveness and foster increased interest in the world of business and finance among students of both schools. Cooper remarked, “I really hope to see a lot of growth in competitiveness for us and development in the skills required to go into business.”

The club meets every Monday and Wednesday in room 4213 of Loyola Hall from 3:15 to 4:30 and is always open to new participants. If you’re interested in anything related to business or finance, stop by after school to see where your journey with DECA will take you next!