DECA

Chesler takes 2nd Place!

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DECA awarded Mountain View High School sophomore Matt Chesler of Loveland, CO, a 2nd place finish in the Stock Market Competition at the 2009 DECA International Career Develpment Conference, held April 29-May 3, at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, CA. DECA is an international association of marketing students with 185,000 members across the United States and in Canada, Germany and the U.S. territories.

Anaheim, CA Deca’s 63rd International Career Development Conference

Local Student Places 2nd in International Stock Market Competition

DECA awarded Mountain View High School sophomore Matt Chesler of Loveland, CO, a 2nd place finish in the Stock Market Competition at the 2009 DECA International Career Development Conference, held April 29-May 3, at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, CA. DECA is an international association of marketing students with 185,000 members across the United States and in Canada, Germany and the U.S. territories. Its co-curricular programs of activity are integrated into local high school marketing education programs to help teach the skills and standards required in business today. The award was presented at the closing ceremony of DECA’s annual conference viewed by the conferences 15,000 student attendees. DECA’s Competitive Events Program uses interviews, tests, role-plays, online simulations and written project reports to evaluate the student’s marketing and management skills—specific skills, taught in the marketing classroom and in DECA activities, that have been identified by the business community as essential for success. Chesler increased a simulated portfolio with a starting value of $100,000 to nearly $140,000 during the portfolio management portion of the competition from September to December 2008. His performance beat nearly 5000 other teams from around the globe. Chesler earned the right to present his strategies, which combined stock market fundamentals with technical analysis, to a stock broker/judge in Anaheim, CA. His first presentation earned him a chance to present in the finals, where 5 judges evaluated his presentation. Chesler was elated to become Mountain View’s first DECA International finalist in the school’s nine-year history, "I would like to thank DECA for the incredible opportunity it has provided me, and can’t wait for next year’s competition!"

Hooray for the Western Regional DECA Champions – the next generation of market traders!

David Elliott, founder and owner of WallStreetTeachers.com donated the funding for six DECA members at Mountain View High School to attend the International Career Development Conference in Anaheim, CA April 29-May 3. MVHS Students will compete in Financial Analysis and the Stock Market Competition at DECA’s Conference, which will host more than 15,000 high school students from around the United States and several other nations. Students will compete and learn leadership skills in Finance, Marketing, Management, Entrepreneurship and other areas of business.

Mountain View’s Matt Chesler heads into the international conference having placed first among 5000 teams in the stock market competition. Students were required to create and manage a portfolio of $100,000 from September-December of 2008. His portfolio beat all the other entrants and outpaced the Standard and Poor’s 500 by nearly 60% over the course of the game. "I started the game in September assuming all the competitors would be buying ‘long,’ and thought it would be difficult to stand out. Using the technical analysis strategies I learned in class and from David Elliot’s program, I sensed the market was overbought and was in line for a correction in September. What I didn’t know was how big the correction would be." commented Chesler, referring to the financial crisis that has gripped the nation since September.

Technical Analysis uses charting to track a number of market factors, including demand for stocks. It is a technique that has the ability to suggest the future direction of stocks and markets through the study of past market data, primarily price and volume. It allows investors to make money even in down markets, as Chesler was able to do.

"David’s gracious and significant contribution makes the trip more affordable for the students, and recognizes the outstanding achievement Mountain View’s DECA students have displayed. And it embodies the spirit of DECA by rewarding students who learn real world business skills while they are in high school," commented Mountain View DECA advisor Dave Dillman.

For information on Mountain View DECA, please contact Dave Dillman at 970.613.7818, or visit deca.org. For information on technical analysis, please visit WallStreetTeachers.com.