Western's DECA students take honors in regional and national contests

A team of students from Western’s College of Business and Economics participated in the very first remote Pacific Northwest Career Development Conference on Friday, March 5 and Saturday, March 6. Schantell Hummel, Maleah Meinhold and Joseph Fairchild were all named state champions in their respective divisions. 

The WWU Collegiate DECA Club, consisting of six students this year, all competed and placed within the top 3 of their categories on Saturday.  

Hummel took first place in Entrepreneurial Operations, while Meinhold and Fairchild took first place in International Marketing. 

The following are the official results for the 2021 Pacific Northwest Career Development Conference: 

  • Schantell Hummel  - State Champion in Entrepreneurial Operations 
  • Maleah Meinhold  - State Champion in International Marketing 
  • Joseph Fairchild - State Champion in International Marketing 
  • Elizabeth Blue  - Second in state in Marketing Management 
  • Anthony Alvarez - Second in state in Fashion Marketing 
  • Ariel Hall - Third in state in Travel & Tourism 


In this conference, students got to compete in case study events, where they had 30 minutes to prepare a 15-minute presentation in front of judges. The judges are business professionals in the field that the event is focused on— The event categories range from entrepreneurial operations to corporate finance. 

The state champions moved on from the regional conference to the "nationals" at the International Career Development Conference in April and were again very successful:

  • Schantell Hummel scored a Top 10 finish in Entrepreneurial Operations
  • Ariel Hall scored a Top 10 finish in Travel & Tourism
  • Maleah Meinhold & Joseph Fairchild scored a Top 10 finish in International Marketing


“DECA is so much fun and when COVID isn't around— we’re the only traveling business club on campus,” said Hummel, who also serves as Western’s DECA club president. “I'm really fortunate that we were still able to have a state competition, especially since it is my senior year.” 

The team consisted of Schantell Hummel (Business Management, Renton), Maleah Meinhold (Fairhaven Interdisciplinary Studies: Examining the Link Between the Criminal Justice System & Psychology, Yakima), Joseph Fairchild (International Business; Springfield, Missouri), Elizabeth Blue (Business Management, Shoreline), Anthony Alvarez (Business Marketing, Bellevue), and Ariel Hall (Plastics & Composites Engineering, Spokane).  

Western’s Collegiate DECA is a student-driven organization that prepares students for careers in business by integrating their skills into real-world settings. DECA not only prepares students for careers, but also offers unique help in the form of scholarships, internships, competitions and professional networking opportunities.