MATTAPOISETT – Rylee Kouta was hesitant when a friend first asked her to join the Old Rochester Regional chapter of the Distributive Education Clubs of America.

Like the “business version of mock trial” co-advisor Alyssa Whitney said, DECA is an organization that holds competitions testing in knowledge of marketing, business, finance and accounting among other fields. Next month, students will go to Boston to participate in state competitions, at which judges test their business knowledge, delivery of that information and other criteria.

But for Old Rochester students in DECA, the club and competitions hone more than just business-related acumen. It also serves as experience in communicating, thinking quickly and operating within professional spaces overall.

Kouta, a senior, said she was shy as a freshman and sophomore. That’s changed since joining DECA, which makes students “better with being uncomfortable or being in uncomfortable situations.”

“I just feel like it really helped me out with that,” Kouta said. “It made me step out of my comfort zone and be able to talk to people.”

In January, Old Rochester students participated in district competitions. Within DECA, students can take part in role-play, written or quiz bowl competitions. For role-play, competitors are given a problem and have ten minutes to prepare a speech that comes up with a solution, which is then delivered to a judge.

“They go in complete business attire,” Whitney said, who co-advises the club with Beth Trout. “They shake their hands. A lot of them will actually make business cards and give it to the judges, so that it’s just like if you were walking into an interview.”

Junior Zachary Riggs joined DECA even though he hopes to pursue nursing, rather than business. Competing in the “Principles of Hospitality and Tourism” category, Riggs said the club is helping him “think of ways to communicate on the spot.”

“I just thought that this would be a way to better my communication skills and whatnot, and it has helped,” Riggs said. “It has helped a lot.”

Old Rochester students will travel to Boston for state competitions March 7 to March 9. The club is sponsored by Bay State Textiles, Hiller Company and Fieldstone Market, according to Whitney. Senior Andrew Porter is the chapter’s president.

Sophomores Charlotte Cook and Molly Wronski are partners for their DECA competition. They are completing a written report in which they come up with a product and sell, finance and create a business plan for it. Cook and Wronski said they both joined DECA in seventh grade.

“Just seeing all the fun videos and how community can come together and bond over a club, a project and all that stuff really interested us when we were in seventh grade,” Cook said.

For senior Alyssa Vieira, DECA is not just about competing.

“It started first off being just fun, but then it slowly really became just making myself become a better person and being more comfortable with different professional settings,” Vieira said.

DECA has also helped Vieira grow more confident, she said.

“Now when I go to interviews or if I go to any college interviews, I know how to dress up, how to introduce myself, how to pitch myself,” Vieira said.