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DECA President Finds Meaning in Clubs, Virtual Commencement


As a business administration student at Salt Lake Community College, Chalese Stevens has sought opportunities to develop her leadership skills and polish her professional profile. Of all of the clubs she found at SLCC, Collegiate DECA was the perfect fit for her academic and career goals. This past year, the 41-year-old student was also president of DECA at SLCC.

 

Clubs at SLCC bring people together. They teach students to be leaders. They create a sense of belonging. Clubs help flip student switches from passive to active, also benefitting the college and the communities it serves. And there are more than 60 from which to choose – a club for almost every interest (or you could always start your own!).

 

“We participate in charitable events, such as a fundraiser we did for children with congenital heart disease last November,” Stevens says. “We also are involved with the community as much as possible by working with other chapters of DECA at other colleges and even some high schools.”

 

DECA, around for almost 75 years, might be one of the oldest clubs available at SLCC. Active clubs include names like American Chemical Society and American Indian Student Leadership all the way to Student Organization for Animal Rights and Utah Criminology Student Association. And there’s an “Inactive” club list, in case you’d like to revive one. Consider breathing new life into the Anthropology or Astronomy Society clubs or the Students for the Exploration & Development of Space and Young Democratic Society clubs.

 

You can find out how to start a club or more details about the active and inactive lists by clicking here.

 

For Chalese, DECA has helped her succeed outside of the classroom and to become more invested in her education. The fees were only $30, and the cost to compete in events through DECA are about $100 each. The rewards for its 20 to 30 SLCC members are many, including membership in a club that helps prepare leaders and entrepreneurs in marketing, finance, hospitality and management around the globe. Chalese, already established in her career trajectory, runs a nonprofit, is a published author and hosts her own podcast.

 

Chalese is looking forward to graduating from SLCC in December. She knows the COVID-19 pandemic robbed SLCC students of a May 8 commencement at the Maverik Center and that a virtual ceremony is planned for June 26. She hopes grads will want to participate. “The online commencement ceremony is important because it shows support to our peers at school,” she says. “They have worked extremely hard to get where they are and deserve to be celebrated.”

 

Graduating students can RSVP for the June 26 online ceremony by clicking here. The deadline to RSVP is June 1.

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