Every year the Westside DECA program is one of the best in the state, and competes nationally. The classes needed to be a part of DECA, Marketing I and Marketing II, are two of the most popular non-required courses at Westside (for juniors and seniors only). But there is more to the Westside business department than marketing.

“I think we’re really lucky to have a good business department and be able to offer as many classes as we can, because a lot of the schools in the Metro can’t offer the wide range of classes that we have,” business department head Sarah Schau said. “I would say try one. See if you like it. You never know. There’s lots of different areas in business other than marketing, so I would try it out, see what you like.”

With 17 total classes in the department, students have a number of options. Schau pointed out Business Principles as a one semester class sophomores can take to gauge their enthusiasm for business.

“[Business Principles is] a great overview of everything business, just to see if you’re even interested in anything business,” Schau said. “It pretty much covers every facet, accounting, marketing, distribution, pretty much all areas of business. That one’s kind of less known, but a great class.”

For students who are considering going further than high school with business, the department is recommending students, sophomores to seniors, to take accounting.

“The one big push that we tell all of our kids that are currently in the program is that if they have any desire ever to major in business in college, then they pretty much have to take accounting,” Schau said. “That’s one class we really push that will help them the most towards their degree.”

Specifically for seniors, the department offers entrepreneurship, a class in which students are “… involved in all aspects of starting and running a business…” according to the Westside Course Planning Guide for 2014-2015.

“Entrepreneurship’s a big hit,” Schau said. “[Business instructor Jeanette] Kleppinger teaches that and the kids actually get to start and run their own business, and they get to keep the profits of whatever they sell, so that’s fun.”

Schau also recommended DigiTools, which teaches skills with Comic Life, GarageBand, Dreamweaver and Adobe Photoshop, and Investments, which teaches money management and investment strategies.