High School

Emerging Leader Honor Award Nominations Due

March 31, 2025

DECA’s Emerging Leader Honor Award recognizes members studying marketing, finance, hospitality and management for being academically prepared, community oriented, professionally responsible, experienced leaders through participation in DECA.

To qualify for the DECA Emerging Leader Honor Award a student must:

  • Be a current DECA member
  • Be a senior
  • Have an overall cumulative grade point average of 3.2 for the previous seven semesters (with a 4.0 being equal to an “A”)
  • Complete at least one course in one of the following areas: marketing, business management and administration, entrepreneurship, finance, or hospitality and tourism
  • Participate in at least three of the areas listed under Community Oriented, Professionally Responsible and Experienced Leader

Students must participate in at least three of the areas listed under each category below:

Community Orientated
  • Participate in a community/school project.
  • Participate in a social activity for a civic or community service organization.
  • Participate in a community/school business activity.
  • Participate in developing a display, parade float, or exhibit for a community/school activity.
  • Other (please provide a detailed description).
Experienced Leader
  • Hold a DECA office.
  • Attend a DECA officer training conference.
  • Participate in an association, regional or international DECA leadership conference.
  • Hold an office in another school, church, or community organization.
  • Promote DECA at a government, business, fraternal, school or community meeting.
  • Serve as a project leader for a DECA project.
  • Other (please provide a detailed description).
Professionally Responsible
  • Participate in a district, association or international DECA conference.
  • Participate in a DECA career exploration activity.
  • Participate in a DECA membership recruitment activity.
  • Participate in a DECA public relations activity: prepare articles(s), make presentation(s) or prepare display(s).
  • Be an active member of the local DECA chapter.
  • Participate in a DECA chapter organization activity: develop a program of work.
  • Participate in DECA competitive events: individual, team, written or chapter.
  • Participate in a school-based enterprise.

Nominations will be open from February 3 - March 31, 2025

  1. Log in to the student portal in the Membership System
  2. Click the Emerging Honor Award Self-Nomination tab (only displays for members in 12th grade)
  3. Check beside each qualification you have met
  4. Sign the application and it will be forwarded to your advisor for review
  5. Members can see if their application is pending, approved or denied

Nominations will be open from February 3 - March 31, 2025

  1. Advisors will receive an email that a student member has initiated an Emerging Leader Honor Award
  2. Log in to the Membership System and navigate to the Emerging Leader Honor Award tab
  3. You will see a status beside each member (awaiting approval, approved, denied) or a “Nominate” button
  4. You can nominate a student using the “Nominate” button on the Emerging Leader Honor Award tab.
  5. Upon approval by the advisor and DECA, advisors or members can print their certificate through the membership system under the Emerging Leader Honor Award tab.

Questions?

Contact DECA staff
for more information.

Debbie Taylor
Leadership Manager
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