Ten Cleary University DECA students qualified for the International Career Development Conference in Austin, Texas, in April. At a recent DECA State Career Development in Kalamazoo, 14 members of the Cleary DECA team competed against teams from across the state at the largest Michigan DECA competition in more than 35 years.
“Even with the highest number of competitors since 1986, the Cleary DECA team proudly showcased their spirit, courage, dedication, talent and finesse,” said Kelly Genei, associate professor at Cleary who also oversees the DECA program, in a release.
Nearly 200 students from universities throughout Michigan competed in business role play scenarios where they solved business problems and presented their solutions to judges who are professionals in their industry.
Here are the 10 Cleary students who qualified for the international conference:
• Sophia Coelho and Chelsea Hendra: Business to Business Marketing – 1st Place
• Lance Wiltse and Caleb Buda: Sports Marketing – 1st Place
• Matthew Radjewski: Entrepreneurship – Starting a Business – 2nd Place
• Carson MacMillan: Advertising Campaign – 2nd Place
• Ryan Davis and Emma Smith: Marketing Communications – top 6 finalists
• Emma Nobels and Sarah Wessels – International Marketing – finalist
“This year, Cleary had many new DECA members, and they all represented our university exceptionally,” Genei said. “Everybody on the team should be commended for their willingness to challenge themselves at this very competitive conference.”
DECA prepares college and high school emerging leaders and entrepreneurs throughout the world for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality and management. Its collegiate competitive events program allows students to test their experience, skills and knowledge while representing their university. They compete for top international honors in one of 25 different categories. Business and industrial leaders serve as judges for the competition.
Cleary University offers scholarships for DECA. To learn more about the program at Cleary and how you may qualify for a DECA scholarship, visit cleary.edu. If you would like to help support the Cleary DECA team, you can make a donation through this link: https://paybee.io/@mi@38
“At Cleary, we strive to offer our students every opportunity to succeed at the highest level by providing them with the resources to develop strong leadership skills as they pursue their career and life goals,” said Jeremy Walker, vice president of Enrollment Management at Cleary University.
