WWU Collegiate DECA Gains Recognition at Regional Competition

Western Washington University sent 17 students to the 2016 Collegiate DECA Pacific Northwest Career Development Conference (PNCDC) over the weekend of Feb. 18-20 in Spokane.

This group of students competed in business simulations and case studies with varying career focuses including hospitality, sales, merchandising, human resources, marketing and management.

WWU Collegiate DECA members, and their hometowns, are: Margaret Bou, Mukilteo; Nathan Nguyen, Everett; Alex Landes, Lake Tapps; A.J. Smith, Vancouver; Liz Reynolds, Vancouver; Jared Laird, Kenmore; Brendon Wilsey, Coupeville; Caitlin Hanley, Skamania; Spiridon Pappas, Shoreline; Allan Zhang, Olympia; Alex Albrecht, Shoreline; Anna Csicsery, Murray, Utah; Bri Broadwater, Spokane; Jamsheed Motafram, Sammamish.

Western competed against colleges from the state of Washington and province of British Colombia including Gonzaga University, Bellevue College, Camosun College, Shoreline Community College, Spokane Community College, Washington State University and the University of Washington. Students presented to business professionals from the Spokane area, creating a link between their studies and real life business scenarios.

In addition to building professional experience, students were vying to qualify for the Collegiate DECA International Career Development Conference (ICDC) held in Washington, D.C. in late April. The collegiate DECA ICDC brings roughly 2,000 college students together from around the world to compete in business simulations, prepared presentations and case studies.

This is the sixth year WWU DECA has competed at the PNCDC and their achievements have continued to grow since their formation in 2010. Among many honors WWU Collegiate DECA earned two first-place finishes, three second-place finishes and one third-place finish, with 14 overall finishes in the top five. The other three competitors qualified to move on by participating in the entrepreneurship challenge.

Sending this many members across the country to bring international recognition to WWU is going to be a challenge, however members have already started raising funds to attend the conference.

For more information or to help sponsor the club’s venture to Washington, D.C., contact Liz Reynolds, vice president of Events and Operations for WWU DECA, or A.J. Smith, chapter president for WWU DECA, at wwudeca@gmail.com.