Ten students participate in State DECA Competition

Tabor College was one of five schools to compete in the State DECA Competition in the Shari Flaming Center for the Arts on Friday, Jan. 28.

Ten students competed individually and/or in teams of two, finishing third or higher in 12 different events. Each of these students will now have the opportunity to compete in the International Career Development Conference on April 9-12 in Baltimore, Md.

Participating colleges included: Tabor College, Cowley College, Fort Hays State University, Kansas Wesleyan University and the University of Kansas.

“Our business students did an excellent job of representing themselves and Tabor College,” Dr. Melinda Rangel, associate professor of business management, said. “They were prepared for their events, professional in their appearance and conversation, and performed with confidence. I am so proud of their efforts.”

Natalie Ford (JR/Fort Collins, Colo.) and Jazmine Sandoval (JR/Las Vegas, Nev.) each finished first individually and as a team. Ford took first in Human Resource Management, while Sandoval finished atop Fashion Merchandising and Marketing. They took first in Entrepreneurship-Starting a Business as a pair. Alicia Lopez (JR/Eastvale, Calif.) and Alexis Wall (SR, Mounds, Okla.) took first in Business Research.

“DECA is an excellent way to put into practice the skills business students are learning in the classroom,” Rangel said. “The real-life business problems that students solve in their events draw on the knowledge gained from their business instruction. I would love to see more students compete in DECA and experience this opportunity.”