Mound Westonka High School had 120 students participate in the 2022 Minnesota DECA State Career Development Conference, which was held March 6-8 in Minneapolis. Continuing a long tradition of excellence for the Westonka DECA program, 30 MWHS students will advance to the DECA Internationals competition in Atlanta next month.

The following MWHS students will compete with 20,000 top DECA students from around the world at the International Career Development Conference April 22-27: seniors Stephanie Anderson, Mason Brakemeier, Kathryn Butler, Kathryn Collins, Hallie Dierbeck, Haakon Erdahl, Jake Gaylord, Hannah Hall, Quinn Jenson, Blake Lee, Meagan Mattson, Samantha Pickert, Anna Reier, Coco Sir, Annie Springer and Nikki Zucaro; juniors Annika Hoisington, Abby Hollenstein, Savanna Newell, Paige Ostrowski, Ellen Pruitt, Maureen Reily, Avery Roerig, Laura Sunnarborg and Brekken Thompson; sophomores Olivia Adam, Sammy Krahl, Gabriella Larsen and Natalie Miner; and foreign exchange student Felicia Klassen.

Approximately 3,500 Minnesota DECA student members take part in the organization’s competitive events program during the school year, allowing them to compete in over 50 events focused on the areas of entrepreneurship, finance, hospitality, marketing and related fields. The competitions are designed to simulate real-life business scenarios and test students’ academic understanding and skills development. After qualifying at district competitions earlier this year, students put their talents to the test during the state competition. The top 12 finishers in each DECA category advance to the state finals. 

Westonka DECA advanced 51 students/groups to the finals this year:

Written Papers

• Business Services Operations Research Project – juniors Annika Hoisington, Paige Ostrowski and Avery Roerig, 10th
• Business Solutions Chapter Project – seniors Hallie Dierbeck and Jake Gaylord and junior Annika Hoisington, 3rd
• Career Development Project – juniors Avery Roerig and Laura Sunnarborg and sophomore Natalie Miner, 1st
• Finance Operations Research Project – juniors Chase Lawrence, Eve Seckinger and Nora Sipprell, 10th
• Franchise Business Plan – juniors Sara Funderburk and Gretta Pioske, 6th
• Hospitality and Tourism Operations Research Project – seniors Ashlynn Kreutter and Kaitlin Kruetter, 7th; seniors Max Epsky and Lance Nemecek, 10th
• Integrated Marketing Campaign Service – junior Ellen Pruitt, 1st; seniors Blake Lee and Anna Reier, 2nd; foreign exchange student Felicia Klassen, 3rd
• Integrated Marketing Campaign Product – senior Nikki Zucaro, 4th; sophomore Cassie Nemecek, 11th
• Integrated Marketing Campaign Event  – sophomores Olivia Adam and Gabriella Larsen, 2nd; sophomores Sammy Krahl and Natalie Miner, 4th
• Start-Up Business Plan – seniors Kathryn Collins and Hannah Hall, 4th; sophomores Will Courneya, Jack Hall and Jack Moch, 8th

Professional Selling Events

• Hospitality and Tourism Professional Selling – sophomore Caryn Childers, 9th
• Professional Selling – sophomore Kendra Mattson, 7th; ninth-grader Piper Landsman, 12th

Individual Role Plays

• Apparel and Accessories Marketing Role Play – foreign exchange student Felicia Klassen, 3rd; senior Ingrid Aufderheide, 9th; sophomore Kendra Mattson, 11th
• Business Services Marketing Series – junior Ellen Pruitt, 6th
• Entrepreneurship Series Role Play – senior Stephanie Anderson, 1st; junior Abby Hollenstein, 5th
• Hotel and Lodging Management Role Play – senior Meagan Mattson, 3rd
• Marketing Communications Role Play – junior Brekken Thompson, 6th; senior Samantha Pickert, 8th
• Personal Financial Literacy Role Play – senior Blake Lee, 5th
• Restaurant and Food Service Management Role Play – junior Laura Sunnarborg, 3rd; senior Haakon Erdahl, 4th
• Retail Merchandising Role Play – senior Anna Reier, 3rd
• Sports and  Entertainment Marketing Role Play – senior Coco Sir, 3rd

Team Role Plays

• Buying and Merchandising Team Decision Making – seniors Kathryn Collins and Quinn Jenson, 1st
• Entrepreneurship Team Decision Making – seniors Mason Brakemeier and Kathryn Butler, 6th
• Financial Services Team Role Play – juniors Savanna Newell and Maureen Reily, 2nd; juniors Dylan Mather and Matthew Uhas, 9th
• Hospitality Team Role Play – juniors Sara Funderburk and Gretta Pioske, 8th
• Marketing Management Team Role Play – sophomores Sammy Krahl and Natalie Miner, 5th
• Sports & Entertainment Team Role Play – juniors Travis Pellett and Reese Vanderwilt, 7th; seniors Max Epsky and Lance Nemecek
• Travel & Tourism Team Role Play – seniors Hannah Hall and Annie Springer, 7th

State Only Events (those that don’t advance to International DECA)

• Employment Interview - Advanced Level – senior Meagan Mattson, 5th  

Top Test Score Medals

• Financial Literacy Exam - senior Blake Lee
• Business Management & Administration Cluster Exam - senior Libby McCue
• Marketing Cluster Exam - senior Blake Lee and junior Ellen Pruitt and Brekken Thompson
• Hospitality Cluster Exam - junior Laura Sunnarborg and senior Haakon Erdahl
• Entrepreneurship Exam - seniors Stephanie Anderson and Mason Brakemeier
• Finance Exam - junior Dylan Mather

Discover DECA BINGO Fundraiser

To help cover the expenses of the DECA Internationals competition, Westonka students, staff, family, friends and community members are invited to attend the annual Discover DECA BINGO Fundraiser on Wednesday, April 6 in the Mound Westonka High School cafeteria. 

The $10 admission covers dinner (hot dog, chips and water), a BINGO card with fabulous prizes, and lots of fun! The evening will also feature a silent auction. All proceeds will go to the students and their fundraising goals. In addition, MWHS DECA projects competing at Internationals will be on hand, so attendees can catch a glimpse of the competitive world of DECA.

The event starts at 5 p.m. with the auction ending at 7 p.m. BINGO runs from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the door or in advance from a Westonka DECA member.