Thirteen members of the Saline County Career Center DECA chapter participated in the 77th Missouri DECA State Career Development Conference held from March 23-25.
Nine SCCC students earned medals, with one student being selected as the 2025-26 state action team officer in the role of Vice President of Community Service. Five of these students will represent SCCC DECA in their respective events at the International Career Development Conference (ICDC), taking place from April 25-30 in Orlando, Florida.
Avery Evans represented the State Action team as VP of Membership during the conference, and achieved a top 10 medal for her Community Giving project titled “Show Me Safety.” Manny Suarez also earned a top 10 medal for his Start-Up Business Plan, M.M.T., which focuses on math tutoring. Vanesa Cortes and Heidi Jimenez received a top 10 medal in the Integrated Marketing Product category for their promotional marketing campaign, “Pattycakes Sweets Shop.” Ethan Russell secured 3rd place with his Start-Up Business Plan, “ESR Art.” Peyton Marshall earned 2nd place in the Integrated Marketing Service category for her project, “Prop L.” Trevor Watkins achieved 2nd place in the Career Development Project Management event with his DEEM project, which successfully facilitated a visit from speaker Dr. Sean Siebert, and helped organize a career fair. Michelle Lin captured 2nd place in the Marketing Communications individual series role-play.
Additionally, Mattie Weaver was awarded a leadership delegate medal and took part in the State DECA Leadership Academy. Jonathan Quintana showcased his project, “Unite Acadia Club,” in the Innovation Event, while Allison Gary competed in the Entrepreneurship individual role-play event. Tyler Brooks and Jaime Vasquez participated in the Sports and Entertainment Management team role-play event.
This year, Peyton Marshall, Michelle Lin, Ethan Russell, Mattie Weaver, and Trevor Watkins will represent the SCCC chapter at ICDC with their outstanding events in April.
Additionally, Michelle Lin won a Missouri senior scholarship. The Gary and Deborah Altrup Scholarship recognize leaders in DECA who exemplify excellent grades and commitment to the organization.
During the DECA State Conference, chapter member Trevor Watkins ran as a candidate for a position on the Missouri DECA state officer team and was officially appointed Vice President of Community Service during the awards ceremony on Tuesday. The announcement was made during the awards ceremony on Tuesday morning that Watkins would represent Missouri DECA as Vice President of Community Service for the 2025-26 school year.
The SCCC DECA chapter also earned the inaugural Missouri Community Service Impact Award, a new accolade that recognizes chapters for their significant contributions to their local community. Lin accepted the award for the chapter on stage.