Bellevue College Dominates Annual State DECA Competition

Bellevue College had a triumphant success at the Collegiate DECA Pacific Northwest Career Development Conference in February at Seattle University. They not only were the state champions in all four areas of competition (business, marketing, finance, and hospitality), but ninety-five percent of Bellevue College DECA students who participated placed in their respective events and qualified to advance to the national competition, April 13-16 in Orlando, Florida. Bellevue DECA students competed against students from the University of Washington, Washington State University, Western Washington University, Seattle University and other prominent schools in the region.

Prepared speeches and unprepared case study events are the hallmark of the statewide Pacific Northwest Career Development Conference (PNCDC) and the International Career Development Conference (ICDC).  Placing high enough in the state competition at the PNCDC is the necessary qualification for students to compete at the ICDC.

“Employers frequently tell faculty that they need graduates with problem solving skills,” said DECA faculty advisor, Kyle Barber. “The application of learning makes a huge difference in being able to handle self-directed work, so employers know that students who have experienced success with DECA are likely to be able to perform at a high level in their organizations.”

DECA leadership conferences bring together different DECA chapters from around the region, the country and the world.  They offer students a chance to learn from business leaders who speak on timely themes and provide an opportunity to compete in structured intercollegiate academic sport.

Bellevue DECA takes these conferences seriously, with students selected based on having a balanced entry in as many events as possible. Faculty advisors consider student subject matter knowledge for their respective event, a demonstrated commitment to coaching, and participation in team events such as community service and fundraising.

Some students start preparing for PNCDC in May the year before, shortly after nationals, with the majority getting serious around the winter holiday break.

“Being national champions for four years in a row has helped students not only see our school in a different light, but also believe that they are competitive with students from UW or Seattle University,” said Barber. “This confidence translates in to students landing better jobs, and helping employers reexamine how Bellevue College produces quality graduates in the field of marketing.”

The following Bellevue College students and teams placed at the statewide Pacific Northwest Career Development Conference:

Overall Team Sweepstakes

State Champion – Bellevue College

2nd place – Shoreline Community College

3rd place – Washington State University

4th place – Western Washington University

5th place – University of Washington

6th place – Seattle University

Overall Team Sweepstakes in Marketing

State Champion – Bellevue College

2nd place – Shoreline Community College

3rd place – Western Washington University

4th place – Seattle University

5th place – University of Washington

6th place – Washington State University

Overall Team Sweepstakes in Business

State Champion – Bellevue College

2nd place – Shoreline Community College

3rd place – Washington State University

4th place – Western Washington University

5th place – University of Washington

Overall Team Sweepstakes in Finance

State Champion – Bellevue College

2nd place – Shoreline Community College

Overall Team Sweepstakes in Hospitality

State Champion – Bellevue College

2nd place – Washington State University

3rd  place – Shoreline Community College

4th place – Western Washington University

Advertising

Jeff Denbo & Victoria Spurling, state champions

Sales

Yuriko Saiki, state champion

Marketing Management

Steitzer, state champion

Marketing Communications

Jason Sandhu, state champion

Brittany Ly & Claire Lee, 2nd place

Savannah Hall & Spencer Kolke, 3rd place

Fashion Marketing

Rachel Degginger, state champion

Angie Perez, 2nd place

Helena Stewart, 3rd place

Sports Marketing

Mitchell Morris & Hannah Swan, state champions

Simar Kainth & Michael Lesnawati, 2nd place

Amber Cain & Reid House, 3rd place

B2B Marketing

Joanne Hier & Keoni Reyes, state champions

Kyle De Ávila & Amanda Wallen, 2nd place

Steph McCarty & Maggie Weber, 3rd place

Carrie Dinsmore & Roselyn Gabone, 4th place

International Marketing

Iris Lin & Evodie Useni Sheda, state champions

Marian Romero & Sayuri Tsuji, 3rd place

Tho Pham & Reid House, 4th place

Emerging Technology

Marijke Thomas, state champion

Chiaki Yoshikawa & Michael Jeon, 2nd place

Sales Management

Mohammad Halbawy, 2nd place

Business Ethics

Kyle Douglas & Hope Paladini, state champions

HR Management

Janisha Wright, state champion

Business Research

Matt Hart, state champion

Karina Shirokova & Elizabetta von Naumann, 2nd place

Growing a Business

Andrew Urrutia, state champion

Financial Accounting

Crystal Belsha, state champion

Managerial Accounting

Jinhua Johnson, state champion

Corporate Finance

Anh Nguyen, state champion

Financial Statement Analysis

Zi Huang & Nate Webb, state champions

Mekhi Cross & Mercedes Lam, 2nd place

Restaurant Management

Ana Sanchez, state champion

Event Planning

Isaac Mambu & Veng Song, 3rd place

Travel & Tourism

Sana Newad, 2nd place

Britnee Stovall, 3rd place