Senior Jesse Ampong is celebrating a big win after placing first at the local DECA business competition. Thanks to strong preparation and teamwork, Ampong will now move on to compete at the DECA Nationals later this year, proudly representing his school and community on a bigger stage.

Ampong joined DECA because he wanted to improve his business skills and make new connections.

“I thought DECA was a good experience to help me understand business and get better at public speaking and communication,” he said.

He’s interested in business and entrepreneurship because he likes solving problems.

“Business is about finding a problem, creating a solution, and helping both you and the customer,” Ampong explained. “Marketing is about speaking to people and showing them the value in your product or service.”

At first, Ampong planned to compete in a business administration event, but he couldn’t find it, so he chose finance instead.

“It’s a funny story,” he said. “I just picked finance and started studying and I ended up loving it.”

“It teaches life skills, builds confidence, and opens doors,” he said. “If you work hard, DECA can take you far.”

Ampong said his team did well because they practiced a lot and worked well together.

“We knew what questions would come up, how to answer them, and when to speak,” he said. “We had great teamwork and that helped us perform our best.”

This competition was special for Ampong because it’s his last year in DECA.

“I wanted to leave a legacy and do something meaningful,” he said. “This meet helped me grow in business and finance.”

He also believes DECA is great for students.

“You learn how to speak in front of people and explain your ideas,” Ampong said. “It also helps you meet people, I even got to talk to a senator who introduced me to the vice president.”

As he gets ready for nationals, Ampong is proud of how far he and his team have come.

“I made sure I understood what I needed to do,” he said. “We built trust and really connected as a team.”

He hopes to continue pursuing business in college and eventually start his own company one day. Ampong’s journey is just getting started and his future looks bright, filled with potential and purpose.