April O'Neil / news@WHMI.com

Cleary University announced that 10 of its DECA students qualified for the International Career Development Conference in Austin, Texas in April.

DECA, or Distributive Education Clubs of America, prepares college and high school students for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management. Its collegiate competitive events program allows students to test their experience, skills, and knowledge while representing their university. They compete for top international honors in one of 25 different categories. Business and industrial leaders serve as judges for the competition.


At a recent DECA State Career Development in Kalamazoo, 14 members of the Cleary DECA team competed against teams from across the state at the largest Michigan DECA competition in more than 35 years.

“Even with the highest number of competitors since 1986, the Cleary DECA team proudly showcased their spirit, courage, dedication, talent and finesse,” announces Kelly Genei, associate professor at Cleary who also oversees the DECA program.

Nearly 200 students from universities throughout Michigan competed in business role-play scenarios where they solved business problems and presented their solutions to judges who are professionals in their industry.

The 10 Cleary students who qualified for the international conference include:

• Sophia Coelho and Chelsea Hendra: Business to Business Marketing – 1st Place
• Lance Wiltse and Caleb Buda: Sports Marketing – 1st Place
• Matthew Radjewski: Entrepreneurship – Starting a Business - 2nd Place
• Carson MacMillan: Advertising Campaign - 2nd Place
• Ryan Davis and Emma Smith: Marketing Communications - top 6 finalists
• Emma Nobels and Sarah Wessels – International Marketing – finalist

“This year, Cleary had many new DECA members, and they all represented our university exceptionally,” Genei points out. “Everybody on the team should be commended for their willingness to challenge themselves at this very competitive conference.”

Cleary University offers scholarships for DECA. To learn more about the program, scholarships, and donation opportunities, visit the provided link.