By aneesh chintala
Lebanon Trail High School
Empowering the Future: The Importance of CTSOs for High Schoolers from a students perspective
What even is a CTSO?
Entering high school, I was an introvert. I remember how hard it used to be to talk to new people and engage in conversation or activities with my peers. However, it was during my school’s club fair, that I came across DECA.
DECA is an organization for aspiring professionals in the business world and provides an opportunity for me to meet new people, learn more about business and all it entails, and take risks! DECA is a CTSO - Career and Technical Student Organization. CTSOs are nonprofit organizations that help students gain knowledge of real-world scenarios through experiences, competitions, and opportunities.
Career and Technical Education
CTSOs go hand-in-hand with CTE (Career and Technical Education) courses, which is vital for students to start developing their professional skills early on. CTSOs offer a variety of leadership opportunities, conferences, competitive events, and services for our communities. In this blog, I’m going to go over the role of CTSOs, the skills students learn, the future careers involved, and the foundation they give their members from my perspective.
My Experience
Throughout these past two years of high school, I’ve been heavily involved with CTSOs. Some of my biggest achievements include serving as my DECA chapter Co-President, HOSA Historian, TSA Director of Membership. Additionally, I was a national finalist for BPA this past year, and an international finalist the past two years for DECA.
Nationally Recognized CTSOs
There are eight nationally recognized CTSOs in the United States:
Business Professionals of America (BPA)
DECA
Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA)
Family Career & Community Leaders of America (FCCLA)
FFA
HOSA-Future Health Professionals
SkillsUSA
Technology Student Association (TSA)
Leadership and Foundational Skills
Within CTSOs, there are a variety of leadership opportunities that students can take on. They can seek to take on roles within their own school chapters by becoming chapter officers and leading the students of their respective schools or seek roles to become officers of the organization at the district/region level, state level, or national/international level. Additionally, students may choose to lead projects for their community, volunteer work, or competitive events, presenting an opportunity to grow their skills as a leader and learn about taking initiative.
Real-world Skills
There are a variety of skills students can learn by being part of a CTSO! Some of these skills are generalized like communication, presentation skills, and soft skills that are applicable to any field. For example, during my time as DECA Co-President, I used my communication skills to support my chapter officers and relay information to ensure seamless operations.
One specific example was during submission for our chapter campaigns. We almost missed the deadline, but luckily I was able to round up our officers to submit their various campaigns in time! It’s times like these that I remember how important skills like leadership are for students to utilize.
Discovering Future Careers
When I attended my first DECA meeting I didn’t think I would actually end up as someone who would want to pursue a business related career. However, as the year progressed, I fell in love with everything business. From presenting about financial strategies to creating graphic designs for promotional materials: I enjoyed all of it. Thus, I realized that the business field would be the perfect fit for me.
During the summer after my sophomore year, I decided to look for summer internships, and I applied thinking that I couldn’t possibly compete with other applicants. During my first interview, I realized it was just like a DECA competitive role play and by using my prior experience I aced it!
There are lots of future opportunities that await members of CTSOs after high school. By joining a CTSO, you gain access to real-world experience with career fields, and this can help you determine which ones are right for you.
Taking a career aptitude can help you as well!
https://www.princetonreview.com/quiz/career-quiz
https://www.theforage.com/blog/basics/career-aptitude-test
Building a Network & Resume
Each CTSO has its own conferences and events: use these to your advantage! I had the opportunity to attend DECA’s International Career Development Conference in 2023 and met some of my best friends to this day! There are so many new people you have the ability to meet and include in your potential professional network. And a professional network is one of THE MOST important parts of future careers.
With CTSOs, you have the opportunity to connect with local leaders in your communities for mentorship, advice, and support!
Having these connections from an early age is vital to having a successful career, especially in certain fields and career pathways.
For sophomores and juniors, these CTSOs provide some of the best ways to enhance your college applications and strengthen your resumes.
There are various ways that they can help, from accolades and awards to highlighting your traits and skills. Many of these organizations offer scholarships, some of the most vital factors when applying for higher education. You can effectively tie in any achievements and experiences with CTSOs in your applications, essays, and more!
So Now What?
Well let’s recap what we learned:
CTSOs (Career and Technical Student Organizations) provide real-world experience and help students develop professional skills early on.
CTSOs offer leadership opportunities, competitions, and community service to enhance student growth.
CTSOs cover various fields, including business, healthcare, technology, and trades, helping students explore future careers.
Participation in CTSOs builds a professional network and strengthens resumes and college applications.
CTSOs offer scholarships and accolades that can be valuable for higher education and career advancement.
So… JOIN A CTSO TODAY! If you have any established chapters at your school, I highly suggest grabbing a friend and joining for the various opportunities for your future. Additionally, if you don’t have one at your respective school, grab a teacher and start one today!