Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) is a highly competitive high school organization in which students from all over the nation and world compete for a chance to “win the glass” by competing in a wide variety of events related to marketing and business.
“Trying new events over the years broadened my knowledge of different areas of business and how creativity, confidence and strategy are correlated to success in the field…”
Vivianne Kersten
After competing at the district level, a select few earn the opportunity to compete at the state tournament for a chance to qualify for the International Career Development Conference (ICDC) competition which will be hosted in Orlando this year. The state tournament took place from Sunday, March 2 to Tuesday, March 4. More than 3,000 competitors fought for the chance to advance.
There were a few notable achievements from the students of Eastern Carver County District 112.
At Chanhassen, Ava Pumper, a junior, was a state top performer, placing in the top eight in her Human Resources Management Series event. Joseph Gilardi, a junior, placed fourth in state and qualified for ICDC in the hotel and lodging management series event.
Senior Loren Swanson placed second in state and qualified for ICDC in the hospitality and tourism professional selling event. Finally, senior Vivianne Kersten swept her events as she took first place and qualified for ICDC in both the hotel and lodging management series and hospitality and tourism professional selling.
At Chaska, the team of juniors Evelynn Rodgers, Colton Wacker and Evan Dougherty were state top performers, placing in the top eight in the business services operations research event. Additionally, the team of seniors Lucy Wright and Carly Sayre placed fifth in the community giving event.
“My 2 victories in this year’s DECA state tournament brought me so much excitement and accomplishment, but in culmination, my three years in DECA have brought me much more,” said Vivianne Kersten, the district’s most decorated competitor and vice president of Chanhassen’s DECA chapter.
She shared how her time at Chanhassen DECA helped her discover her passion for business and equipped her with the skills needed for a successful business education.
“Trying new events over the years broadened my knowledge of different areas of business and how creativity, confidence and strategy are correlated to success in the field. (I am) forever grateful for DECA and very proud of the work I have done in it,” she said.
Regardless of the result, every student who competed weekend should be incredibly proud of their work and achievement.
