ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Students from across New Mexico are gathering in Albuquerque for the 72nd annual DECA conference and championship.

DECA is an organization that prepares high school students for leadership roles in marketing, finance, hospitality and management. The acronym initially stood for Distribution Education Clubs of America, but rebranded simply as DECA in 1991.

This week, students are being tested in various events.

“We have about 50 different events that students are competing in and they’re all different types,” said Debi Cline, New Mexico DECA Charter Association advisor. “The students have a, an exam that they take, they have a case study that they only have 10 minutes to prepare for.”

Students will continue to compete Tuesday with team decision-making events. Those who qualify from this competition will move on to the international competition next month in Atlanta.