Shoreline’s Collegiate DECA team returned from the 2016 Pacific Northwest Career Development Conference held Feb. 18-20 in Spokane, WA with a number of wins.
Of the 25 students representing Shoreline in 12 events at this year’s conference, 13 students placed third or better. Almost all Shoreline participants, 24 out of 25, qualified for the 2016 Collegiate DECA International Career Development Conference to be held in Washington, DC April 15-20. About 1,200 students from Canada, China, and the United States will participate at the international level.
DECA has been active at Shoreline Community College since 1966. In the 2015-2016 academic year, Shoreline’s Collegiate DECA program nearly doubled in size from 22 last year to 45 this year. Most awards were earned by first-year DECA members!
In addition to individual awards earned by students, Shoreline Community College took the top spot in the Entrepreneurship Category among all schools competing. Shoreline students went head to head against students from other prominent schools throughout the region, including the University of Washington-Bothell Campus, Washington State University, Western Washington University, Gonzaga, Bellevue College, and Spokane Community College.
Shoreline’s Regional Finalists were:
TeriJo Wheeler and Laura Melendez, 1st Place, Entrepreneurship – Starting a Business
Lauren Lancaster, 2nd Place, Entrepreneurship – Starting a Business
Cuong Nguyen, 2nd Place, Entrepreneurship – Growing a Business
Laura Melendez, 1st Place, Fashion Merchandising and Marketing
Dhalu Sherpa, 3rd Place, Fashion Merchandising and Marketing
Chronos Chow & Shulang Yue, 2nd Place, Business to Business Marketing
Taylor Wootress, 3rd Place, Business Research
Jessica Irby, 2nd Place, Travel & Tourism
Lauren Golshan, 3rd Place, Human Resource Management
Nick Taniguchi & Cuong Nguyen, 3rd Place, International Marketing
Edward Dilimulati & Steph Nguyen, Top 5, International Marketing
Chronos Chow & Shulang Yue, Top 5, Emerging Technologies
Rachel Degginger, Top 5, Fashion Merchandising and Marketing
Vivian Xia & Candy Lang , Top 5, Event Planning
Also qualifying for the International Conference were:
Li-ping Chin & Canmie Lau, Business to Business Marketing
Enken Ketsela & Jenny Tran, Advertising Campaign
Evert Ableman & Kelsey O’Connor, Business Ethics
Also representing Shoreline in very competitive categories:
Ron Cruz & Alleah Leano, Entrepreneurship – Starting a Business
Tina Zhang, Emerging Technologies
Faculty advisors for the students are Stephen McCloskey, Kyle Winslow, and Ailsa Kellam. Kellam said of the team, “It is an honor to work with such an outstanding group of students. Not only did they deliver their best at competition, they also performed community service and fundraising projects on campus leading up to this event so they are truly student leaders.” McCloskey and Winslow will escort the team to the International Conference to be held in Washington, DC in April.
DECA is an international association of students interested in business careers. All Shoreline students are welcome as members of DECA, regarless of major. Watch for the Fall Kick-Off announcements around campus in September.