Alia Al Husseini

Alia Al Husseini (12) and her partner Joie Sandler (12) smile with their first place medals. They have been members of DECA for four years. “It was a fun experience,” Husseini said.

Alia Al Husseini (12) competed in the district competition Feb. 5 as part of DECA, a national non profit organization that prepares high school students for careers in marketing through competitive events. She competed in the “Travel and Tourism Team Decision Making”, a partner event that she also competed in last year. 

For the event, she was required to take a test before the in-person competition. After being presented with a specific industry scenario, she and her partner were given 15 minutes to prepare a professional pitch. This year’s task required the duo to propose creative solutions to reduce airport lounge crowding while maintaining corporate standards.

While Husseni was confident in her abilities, the pressure of the live presentation naturally created a tense environment. She and her partner focused on technical accuracy, yet they were still worried how their delivery would be perceived by judges.

“We used a lot of vocabulary and thought we were creative,” Husseini said. “However, we were nervous because we were shaky when talking. My partner even started crying before the awards because she was so stressed out. When we found out we won, it was so relieving because we didn’t think we were going to place at all.”

The relief of placing was only amplified by the fact that her competition has expanded significantly since Husseni first joined. The Travel and Tourism event especially has seen a large surge in popularity, doubling in size each year from four competitors in 2024 to 16 this year. 

“There were so many teams in our event this year which is why we thought we weren’t going to make it,” Husseini said. “Only the top two go to state so it was really nerve-racking.”

Success at the district level is a bittersweet milestone as Husseni nears the end of her high school career. As she prepares for college, she has to balance conflicting emotions of competitive drive and senior year nostalgia. 

“As a senior, it was a lot more stressful because it’s your last year,” Husseini said. “I was in this mindset that ‘It’s fine I’m going off to college soon.’ On the other hand, it’s my last year and I want to make the most of it.”

Beyond her own performance, Husseni found fulfillment in acting as a mentor for younger members of the organization. This transition from competitor to veteran has helped provide a sense of closure to her DECA journey.

“It was really exciting to see the underclassmen do as good as they did because I used to be like them at one point,” Husseini said. “Competing as a senior definitely gave me a new perspective.”