DECA Success: Jacob McNab’s Story

I joined DECA at the beginning of my sophomore year in the fall of 2023. I had no clue what to expect, except that I wanted to increase my involvement in Gonzaga’s extracurricular activities. Fast forward to today, and joining DECA is one of the best choices I have made during my collegiate journey. After becoming an international champion in restaurant and food service management last year, I kept my momentum going and achieved second place in corporate finance during this year’s DECA International Career and Development Conference (ICDC).

DECA is a business club with the primary goal of preparing emerging leaders for their future careers. To accomplish this, DECA hosts conferences at both the state and international levels where students compete for awards. The competitions consist of prepared business presentations, case studies, and exams. The conferences also feature career workshops where students can improve their skills. The practice and competitions prepare students for their careers and develop important public speaking and technical knowledge. There are a variety of different events, ranging from finance to hospitality. Typically, around 1,500 college students attend ICDC each year, and the conferences are an excellent way to build knowledge, networks, and career readiness.

Understanding my journey starts with learning how I got to where I am today. Last year, DECA traveled to Shoreline Community College for our annual state competition. This competition officially started my DECA career. Our club had thoroughly practiced leading up to the event, so I was prepared for the 100-question exam followed by a case study, which allowed 30 minutes of preparation and 15 minutes to present my findings to a panel of judges. The practice paid off—I ended up winning my event in restaurant and food service management, which meant I earned a spot at the 2024 International Career and Development Conference in Austin, Texas.

I had an incredible time in Austin. The city was wonderful, DECA offered many impressive career development events, and I formed valuable relationships with all the other club members who traveled from Gonzaga. The format was the same as the state competition with the exam and case study, and in round one I was recognized as a top performer for both my exam and case study scores. This meant I advanced to round two, where I completed a second case study. The 60 competitors were narrowed down to around 15. Then, I became a finalist as I was called to the stage along with nine others. Third place was announced, then second, and finally, my name was called last. I had become an international champion in restaurant and food service management.

This success led to my becoming the president of DECA for the 2024–2025 school year. Serving as president proved to be a challenge, but I am hopeful for the future because of the lessons I learned and the challenges I overcame this year. I grew as a leader, and most importantly, I learned. I now understand how to better prepare club members in the future—whether for competitions, career development, or other opportunities. As president, I led Gonzaga’s team to the state competition at Bellevue College. I decided to switch my event to corporate finance because I felt it was more relevant to my career interests. I placed first at the state competition, which meant I would travel to San Francisco for the 2025 International Career and Development Conference.

I started strong in round one, competing against 45 other students, earning top performer recognition for both my case study and exam score—just like last year. Then, I ran into a challenge in the second round. I didn’t know how to solve my second case study, and I only had 30 minutes to figure it out. I scrambled, quickly drawing upon prior knowledge about mergers and acquisitions and filling in the gaps with information from the internet. I felt more confident as the case progressed, thanks to preparation from other clubs and classes. I presented, and although I didn’t feel amazing, I still felt good about my performance. I was nervous for the awards ceremony. But then my name was called as a finalist, and I knew the drill. I walked up to the stage and settled in, waiting and hoping my name would be called again. Third place was announced. Then my name was called. I was thrilled. After struggling through the second case study, it was amazing to hear my name pronounced. I received my second-place trophy and celebrated with the other DECA club members.

I am incredibly thankful for my experience with DECA. It has opened many doors in my life, and it’s rewarding to see the time and effort I invested turn into awards at the international level. However, the impact DECA has had on my life goes far beyond trophies. It has given me a community of students who genuinely want to see each other thrive. I have significantly improved my public speaking and test-taking skills. I am more knowledgeable in the fields of corporate finance and management thanks to the practice and case studies I encountered in the club. I’ve applied classroom learning to case studies that reflect real-world problems. Most importantly, I feel ready for my upcoming career—wherever that may lead me. Thank you to Dr. Danielle Xu, our club advisor, who supports us and makes the club so special. Also, thank you to Dean Anderson and the Gonzaga School of Business for making these travel opportunities possible.

I have one more year left in DECA, and I plan on making the very most of it. We will be traveling to Louisville, Kentucky, for ICDC in 2026, and I’m looking forward to one final run. I’m confident that my Gonzaga education will continue to lead me to success in both DECA and my future career, and that what I’ve learned as president will help the club achieve even greater accomplishments after I graduate.