Judging for a Good Cause | By Becca Blickenstaff | UWiB Gold Member
As humans, we typically judge people on a day-to-day basis, but judging others for a good cause, now that’s a whole new level of enjoyment. Going with UWiB to Inglemoor High School on January 10th was one of my favorite volunteer events thus far with the club, considering I got to help out other students prepare for a major event in their near future. Acting as a judge while high school students prepared for their DECA competition (which I believe was only a couple days after we helped them) was a great way to give back to the community, especially since I, along with ten other UWiB members, were able to give advice on how to present not only their materials better, but how to also present themselves in a more professional manner. As a high school student, I was given the chance to participate in DECA, however I never took my school up on that offer further than paying the $10 to join the club and receive a t-shirt. After being at Inglemoor HS I wish with all my heart I would have actually done something with that $10 and challenged myself to put myself in the real-world simulation that DECA provides students with. What a great way to gain practical experience about what’s to come in the future!
Not to mention, the ideas the students came up with for business plans were outstanding! I took many marketing classes while in high school, but I don’t remember being that business-savvy at that age. My co-judge and I represented an “individual” competition, so we only had one student per presentation as opposed to two. The students that presented solo had only 10 minutes from when they received their hypothetical situation to create a new business plan and prepare a speech for us judges, and not to mention they had to know the material so we could ask questions and they would be able to answer efficiently. Between the three students that we heard and the 10 minutes they had to prepare, I was honestly amazed with the quality of their information and their ideas! Hearing feedback from other UWiB members, it sounded like most of the students presenting sounded very professional and knew what they were doing, which is impressive since these were only high school students.
I am really glad that UWiB chose to help prepare these students for their DECA competition, because I believe that it is crucial to challenge yourself and put yourself in real-world situations that will help you become a better businesswoman/man in the future. Gaining experience like this type of competition is hugely beneficial, and I am so happy I was able to help a few students and give them advice that they will carry with them for years to come. Not only that, but it was definitely a fun experience to be on the judging side of competitions—listening and being concentrated the entire time is challenging! I have a lot more respect for real-life judges, company board members, interviewers and anyone who is in this type of situation, because it is hard having to listen to the presenters and take down notes AND remember points from the presentation that were good, or what needed to be improved on. Overall, what a great experience; I hope we can do it again next year!
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