By Simon Albaugh \u2013 Yemeni American News<\/p>\n
HAMTRAMCK, Mich. \u2013 Over this past weekend, students involved with Hamtramck High School\u2019s DECA team went on to compete at the state-level competition. One of their advisors, George Hloros, spoke with the Yemeni American News about the team and what this program can mean for students.<\/p>\n
George works alongside Rula Bilbeisi in preparing students for competition. The program itself is a competition that judges how students would handle a given scenario in business, marketing, or other fields of a prospective career.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo they\u2019re given this piece of paper, and they have 10 minutes to put together a solution to the problem,\u201d Hloros said. \u201cAnd then they present their solution to the judge. And it\u2019s something that can be very intimidating for our students. I mean, they have to think on the spot, they have to know their stuff, they have to have good communication skills.\u201d<\/p>\n
Make no mistake, these competitions are difficult. In this academic challenge, students oftentimes spend all four years of high school honing the skills necessary to compete well against other schools. But if that wasn\u2019t hard enough, students from Hamtramck High School can have a number of other challenges that makes competing more difficult.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of the things we\u2019re so proud of our students for is we have students that are brand new to this country,\u201d Hloros said. \u201cAnd they come over here with very little English. And to present in a language that\u2019s not your native language to a perfect stranger with only ten minutes of preparation, it\u2019s scary, right?\u201d<\/p>\n
Hloros is a civics teacher. He teaches about history, government and economics. He explains that oftentimes, the material that\u2019s taught in his classes can be seen as unpractical, but he invites these critics to see how DECA can show the practicality. Competitions can often show the real-world applications of these concepts as they\u2019re used in everyday careers.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo this program is meant to be something separate from school,\u201d Hloros said. \u201cBut it\u2019s meant to go with schoolwork and help it and give it more applications in the real world.\u201d<\/p>\n
Like most school programs, the COVID-19 Pandemic had its impact on the Hamtramck High DECA Team. While the team usually runs at around 60 students participating in the competitions, the current roster only shows about half the normal participants competing at events.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re hoping next year to go back to the higher numbers that we had,\u201d Hloros said.<\/p>\n
Although Hloros is relatively new to leading the program, he has seen successful students come back to visit the community. Through Hamtramck\u2019s Best and Brightest Program, Hloros meets students who often credit their time with the Hamtramck High School DECA Team as part of their path to success.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve had many DECA members come back that have been successful in business roles and careers,\u201d Hloros said. \u201cAnd many of them give credit to the program for things they\u2019ve learned that has been valuable in their careers and in their lives.\u201d<\/p>\n
It might be no secret that Hloros sees the connection between success and the Hamtramck High School DECA Program. But he also sees the challenges that define many of Hamtramck\u2019s kids as part of their strength in competition.<\/p>\n
\u201c70% of our students are ESL students,\u201d Hloros said. \u201cIt\u2019s our job to help them learn the language while respecting their culture and helping them succeed in life. And DECA is just an amazing thing for doing that.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re so proud to see a student who comes with very limited English, by their senior year they\u2019re up there giving presentations in front of two judges and they\u2019re knocking them out of the park. And we\u2019ve seen that happen pretty consistently.\u201d<\/p>\n
The students participating in Hamtramck\u2019s DECA team just might be the next generation of successful Hamtramck graduates. In the meantime, the students keep working and the teachers keep guiding them.<\/p>\n