In March, I had the privilege of joining the West Virginia state DECA conference support team at the Charleston Marriott Town Center. This was one of the last state conferences held before COVID-19 became too big to ignore. I was honored to be part of their team and was inspired by their efforts in conjunction with their fearless leader, Adam Feazell, the West Virginia State DECA advisor and assistant principal at Hampshire High School. As many of you know, Adam is also currently part of our MBA Research Professional Development Team.
While I was there, I happened to have lunch with a group of students from Moorefield High School. I asked one student in what event he was competing. His answer gave me hope for the future and confirmed what I already knew—that CTSOs are an indispensable piece of business administration education.
Malachi Hinger, a rising junior at Moorefield High, was eager to engage in conversation. He told me that he and two of his classmates, Levi Thompson and John “Jake” Ward, completed a PMBS Business Solutions project in which they collaborated with Pupuseria Emerita, a Honduran/Salvadorian restaurant in Moorefield. The project aimed to grow awareness of the restaurant and increase its customer base.
Malachi said that their project took a lot of teamwork, not only between him and his cohorts, but also with Emerita, the owner of Pupuseria Emerita, and her family. They also worked with community members, teachers in their school, and students in different career clusters for help with other pieces of the project.
The more Malachi talked, the more fascinated I became with the project—the hurdles the team overcame, their dedication to Pupuseria Emerita, and their pride in how they partnered with Emerita and her family. What was most fascinating was how many topics Malachi touched on that lined up with what we’re hearing from business executives across the country.
These business executives have shared with us feedback on skill sets important for workplace success. Some of the trends they have identified in our focus groups include:
- Shifting cultural demographics
- Changing workplace cultures
- Rapid pace of change in the workplace and business in general
- Decreasing soft skills
- Increasing importance of brand management
- Greater emphasis on generational marketing and target audiences
- Emphasis on customer journey
- Project management and collaboration/team-based skills
Malachi, Levi, and Jake’s project crossed paths with each of these trends in some way. As I listened to Malachi and Levi talk about the work they did—and then later as I read their written presentation—I realized that this experience was indeed preparing these students to be well equipped for the workplace.
Many students (and maybe some professionals) would have shied away from a project so rich with cultural differences and potential communication glitches (they needed a translator to communicate). Nonetheless, these students jumped in headfirst. I found myself admiring their skills and the way they managed a project with so many possible pitfalls.
Malachi, Levi, and Jake won first place in their division. They were heartbroken, however, not to be able to compete at national CTSO competitions. But this group—along with other amazing and talented students nationwide—will be winners wherever they go because of the skills they are developing and have already mastered through CTSOs.
Click here to learn more about Pupuseria Emerita.
Click here to view the project report developed by Malachi, Levi, and Jake.
