Having made it to DECA Nationals, sophomore Justin Won spent four days [April 23-27] in Nashville, Tennessee.

Won’s business plan was a movie theater with an open ceiling during the night. “What I did was create my own business plan and explain to the judge why they should invest in it,” Won said.

It was not all work in Tennessee because students had quite a bit of freedom to do what they wanted, as long as they followed a few rules. “We went to an aquarium, restaurant, baseball game, hung out at a mall, saw a movie, went down town and there was a concert too. It was really fun,” Won said.

Before DECA, Won had no interest in business, but now he can see himself in some sort of a business environment. “I may not be a complete businessman, but I might start a business on the side of my regular job,” Won said. “I feel like a grown business man during the competition and a fun teenager afterwards.”

Unfortunately Won didn’t qualify for finals. “We still had a great time [in Tennessee],” Won said.

For his first year in DECA, Won set the bar high for his capabilities. “There’s always room for improvement, so next year I plan to make nationals again and make it as a finalist,” Won said.