Westonka DECA made a strong impression at this year’s State Career Development Conference, held March 2-4 at the Minneapolis Hyatt Regency. Westonka sent 162 students to compete, and following an exceptional showing, a school record 50 students qualified for the 2025 International Career Development Conference (ICDC) in Orlando, Florida.

Westonka participated in 52 of the 59 events run at the state level. The top 12 students in each DECA category advanced to the final, and Westonka proudly placed 61 students or 46 teams into the finals. With the Minnesota DECA membership now exceeding 6,000, the team advanced the top five in role play events and the top four in paper projects to Internationals.  

Notable achievements at the state competition included the Gold Chapter Campaign by Anna Borg and Stella Miner, and the Business Solutions Chapter Project by Edie Hollenstein, August Lang, and Gracie O’Halloran, both of which earned first-place honors. In addition, Lang took home first place for his Restaurant and Food Service Management Role Play.

The following students will represent Westonka and compete with over 23,000 top students from around the world at the 2025 ICDC in Orlando, Florida, from April 25-29:

• Integrated Marketing Campaign - Event – Stella Miner & Matthew Mobagi; Emma Carlson & Tor Erdahl
• Integrated Marketing Campaign Product – Sadie Cline, Lily Kiner & Reagan Van Blaricon
• Innovation Plan - Lauren Velander
• Start-Up Business Plan – Sabrina Kaganovsky, Elliott Lang & Will Mitlyng
• International Business Plan – Sophia Kravchenko & Lauren Russ
• School-Based Enterprise - Retail – Georgia Harmer & Maria Sells
• School-Based Enterprise - Food – Claire Rashleger & Sydney Reier
• Business Solutions Chapter Project – Edie Hollenstein, August Lang & Gracie O’Halloran
• Career Development Chapter Project – Annika Hagen & Leif Hagen
• Community Giving Chapter Project – Anna Borg & Lizzy Nash
• Sales Chapter Project – Addison Bryan, Allison Kreiser & Ella McClellan
• Business Finance Role Play – Grace Schremp
• Financial Services Team Role Play – Alex Rice & Jagger Wittine
• Virtual Business Challenge/Sports Track - Hayden Dehmer, Leon Kravchenko & George Pettitt; Luke Carlson & Jaden Christ
• Virtual Business Challenge/Hotel Track - Ali Butler, Sienna Dehmer & Maria Neumann
• Virtual Business Challenge/Fashion Track - Ruby Finck; Ethan Aud & Isaac Aud
• Virtual Business Challenge/Retail Track - Noah Huesmann, Dillon Peterson & Luke Sunnarborg
• Chapter Gold Academy – Bella Grotte 
• Thrive Academy – Oliver Berg, Alex Gombola, Elias Ottenbreit, and Quinn Wesley

At the state competition, Westonka DECA advisor Alex Wagner was honored with the Rookie Marketing Teacher of the Year Award for his outstanding contributions to the program. Long-time Westonka DECA advisor Sue Simonson nominated Wagner for the award, which is given each year to a marketing education coordinator who has taught for five years or less in a Minnesota school and who is actively involved in promoting marketing education through the development of quality programs and through involvement in professionals and community organizations.

“While he has only been a marketing teacher for four years, Alex Wagner embodies the passion and commitment to the profession that can rival any veteran teacher,” Simonson wrote. “Through his leadership, the MWHS DECA program has become one of the most competitive in the state.”

“I have never encountered a more passionate, hardworking leader in my many years of teaching and industry work than Alex Wagner,” Simonson added. “He is a person of great integrity and ability, which he carries into the classroom daily in ways that positively impact student lives.”

Wagner’s students echoed these sentiments, describing him as an enthusiastic, supportive, caring, organized, and inspirational mentor. His students shared:

• "Mr. Wagner invests and listens to every student’s project(s). Whether the student is a first-year DECA member or our president, Mr. Wagner makes an effort to make them feel valued and that they are an essential part of our chapter."
• "Mr. Wagner allows us the opportunity to be creative and take risks with the knowledge that he will be there to support us when we fail."
• "I’ve never seen a teacher genuinely want his students to succeed like Mr. Wagner."

Additionally, Westonka sophomore Lizzy Nash was introduced as the Minnesota State DECA VP of Communication. She will serve as an officer for the 2025-26 DECA season.

To help fund the ICDC trip, Westonka DECA will host a Bingo Night on Wednesday, April 9, from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Mound Westonka High School cafeteria. Tickets are $10 each, which includes a hot dog meal and approximately two hours of bingo. Prizes will be awarded to Bingo winners, and a silent auction will also take place. Tickets can be purchased from a DECA competitor or at the door. This fun-filled evening will give attendees the opportunity to learn more about the competitive world of DECA, with International projects on display for all to see.