Tejasvi Kashidi is a freshman at Glenn and a DECA competitor in Principles of Marketing. She will advance to the International Career Development Conference (ICDC) April 21 where she will have the opportunity to compete in Principles of Marketing at a national level. Guided by her sister’s influence and early commitment to DECA, she focuses on growth, strategy and consistently going the extra mile.
Q: When you first picked your event, what was the one thing about it that just “clicked” for you?
A: “When I first thought about it, I knew I wanted to do a role play because it gives me an opportunity to think on the fly. I also really liked how it has the MCQ part, which is just multiple choice and I liked how it reduces the subjectiveness of it. I felt like I would do really well in it, so I chose Principles of Marketing.”
Q: Between District and State, what’s the biggest thing you changed about how you prepared for your event?
A: “Before districts, I didn’t spend that much time preparing for my multiple choice test. I mostly focused on going through my instructional areas and memorized flashcards for communications, which was my instructional area. But when I went to state, I realized that there was a lot more content that I needed to cover, so I had to prioritize what was more important. I did a lot of practice tests, wrote down things I didn’t know, and researched all the topics so I would be prepared for different types of questions. Also, instead of memorizing flashcards verbatim, I focused on understanding the general concepts and how to connect the information to the scenario. I used visuals that I created beforehand instead of just relying on definitions of performance indicators.”
Q: When you were sitting at those big theater seats waiting for results, what was the loudest thought in your head?
A: “I was really scared at that time because I know I had put in a lot of effort and really wanted to go to the next level. The main thought was that I didn’t want all that effort to go to waste.”
Q: What was your most memorable moment at states and why?
A: “All of it was memorable. It was a really enjoyable experience, and I had never really done something like this before. I enjoyed not only competing but also doing it with everyone in DECA.”
Q: Describe the exact second you realized you were holding that ICDC glass. What did that feel like?
A: “It was pretty surreal. I was on stage, and I felt like I really wanted it, but I was still scared I wouldn’t get it. My first feeling was relief, and it felt so good when I finally had it.”
Q: Who inspired you or helped you make it to this level as a freshman and why?
A: “My sister played a big role in it. She’s a current DECA officer, so she already knows a lot about DECA, which helped me a lot. I had already decided in 8th grade that I was going to do DECA and that I would do Principles of Marketing, so I kind of had a head start. From there, I started researching what it takes to make ICDC, and I realized that’s what I wanted to do.”
Q: How are you “tuning up” your preparation now that the stage is getting even bigger for ICDC?
A: “I found a lot of practice tests online. We had around 10–15 before, but I found more and now I have about 34. For each test, I write down everything I don’t know, then I use AI to turn that into a comprehensive study guide, which has really helped my MCQ score. For role plays, I focus more on creating high-value visuals that I can connect to the scenario instead of trying to memorize every flashcard.”
Q: What’s the one thing you’re just dying to see or do once you land at ICDC and why?
A: “I think ICDC itself will be really fun. The socials are going to be cool, and there are things like the Coca-Cola museum. I’m not personally going to that one, but it sounds interesting. I’m most excited about the experience—traveling and meeting new people. Since I’m one of the few people from my school going, I’ll be rooming and traveling with people from other schools, which is exciting. I also want to meet people from different places because they have different DECA experiences, especially since Texas can be more intense. Just talking to them will be really nice.”
Q: If you had to describe your DECA journey so far in just three words, what would they be?
A: “’Go the extra.’ That’s the DECA slogan, and it means doing more than you normally would. I would recommend that to anyone doing DECA—go the extra.”