Wentzville DECA Students Excel

and High School marketing students joined 1,600 of their Missouri counterparts for the 63rd Missouri DECA State Career Development Conference at the Lodge of Four Seasons at the Lake of the Ozarks March 13-15. 

A  record of 23 Holt students and 29 Timberland students qualified to attend the state competition by placing at the District level competition held in Hazelwood on Feb. 9. In addition, the Holt DECA Chapter was named District Chapter of the Year for the tenth consecutive year.

DECA is an international association of high school students studying marketing, management and entrepreneurship in business, finance, hospitality and marketing sales and service.

During the statewide conference, DECA members were evaluated by more than 100 business and industry professionals who served as competitive-event judges. Students were asked to solve realistic workplace problems through one-on-one interaction with an executive or community member and compete as an individual or a team in a variety of categories.

The following students qualified for the DECA International Career Development Conference / Competition in Orlando, FL on April 29 – May 4:

• Holt seniors Lindsey Ralls, Drew Berry, Lauren Crooks, Taylor Vance, Marissa Vassallo, Courtney Shelton and Hunter Whitt; 
• Timberland seniors Taylor Willer, Katie Varner, Katelyn LaPak, Brittney Patterson, Kurt Bognar, Sammi Wyss, Melissa Siegrist and Taylor Willer; 
• Timberland juniors Lani Tuitasi, Evan Jones, Karrie Gustafson, Lexi Gericke, Mike Marsh, Megan Muehling and Alec Weiss.

“It was an amazing year for Timberland DECA,” said sponsor and Timberland Marketing Teacher Michael Oliva. “I knew we were going to have a record year, but fourteen (going to Internationals) was unexpected. It is a testament to how hard the kids work and prepare.”

Holt students work under the advisement of Marketing Department Chair Lynne Chrismer and Marketing Teacher Jolene Wofford.