CACC Students Qualify for DECA Nationals

Pete Eichholz and Scott Fuenfhausen, DECA Advisors for Columbia Area Career Center, are proud to announce the results of the DECA State Career Development Conference that was held at the Lodge of Four Seasons at the Lake of the Ozarks from March 18 – 20. More than 1,400 students from the 12 State Districts competed in the three day event including 16 Hickman and 22 Rock Bridge DECA members. Students finishing in the top six spots in individual events and the top five in team events advance to the International Career Development Conference which will be held in Salt Lake City, UT in April.

The DECA competition is divided into two parts. Students first take a 100 question exam which tests basic marketing knowledge. The second portion of the competition is “role play” where students are given a marketing situation in which they must develop a solution and then present that solution to a judge who rates their solution. The final score is a combination of the two parts. 

The following DECA students qualified for nationals in Individual Events:

Apparel & Accessories Marketing

1^st place: Alaina Battaglia (Rock Bridge)

Business Services Marketing

1^st place: Annemarie Van Doren (Hickman)

Food Marketing Series

1^st place: Harry Schauwecker (Rock Bridge)

Quick Serve Restaurant

1^st place: Spencer Claiborne (Hickman)

Human Resource Management

4^th place: Syed Ejaz (Rock Bridge)

Marketing Management

2^nd place: Shane Kuse (Rock Bridge)

5^th place: Michael Fentress (Rock Bridge)

Retail Merchandising

3^rd place: Rachel Volmert (Rock Bridge)

Business Finance Series

5^th place: Alex Gregory (Rock Bridge)

Principles of Hospitality & Tourism

3^rd place: Kaitlyn Robertson (Rock Bridge)

The following DECA students qualified for nationals in Team Events:

Sports & Entertainment (team)

5^th place: Coltin Hermann & Will Echelmeier (Rock Bridge)

Top Finishers who medaled but do not qualify for nationals:

Hotel & Lodging Management

Larkin Shull (Hickman)

Principles of Marketing

Olivia Mends (Rock Bridge)

Katie Paul (Rock Bridge)

Hospitality Services

Lexi Bumby & Alison Reynolds (Rock Bridge)

Travel & Tourism

Mike Richardson & Garrett Dishinger (Hickman)