Amanda Forrester / news@whmi.com

Students from Cleary University earned top awards during the International Career Development Conference for Collegiate DECA.

The competition was held in San Francisco earlier this month.

Approximately 1,000 students from 18 states and several countries competed in a variety of business-related categories that tested their problem-solving skills, leadership qualities, presentation techniques and persuasive communication attributes, according to a press release about the event.

The following are Cleary’s international champions:

Macie Mullins, of Brooklin, Michigan, and Olivia Williams, of Nashville, Michigan: First place in Business-to-Business Marketing.

Matthew Radjewski, of Macomb: Top 10 finalist (8th place) in Advertising Campaign.

The following are Cleary students who advanced to the final round of competition:

Jacob Haley, of Flint, and Hsiang “Shaelyn” Kao, of Douliu, Yunlin, Taiwan: Ninth place in Entrepreneurship: Starting a Business.

Carsen MacMillan, of Howell: Ninth place in Hotel and Lodging.

Macie Mullins, Matt Radjewski and Olivia Williams

Half of the Cleary students made it to the final round and half brought home awards, Justine Defever, associate professor at Cleary and DECA co-advisor, said.

“This is a distinction few schools can claim,” Defever said. “It truly demonstrates the unique talents of our students. In fact, the judges weren’t just impressed by our students’ business acumen; they were inspired by their confidence and embodiment of The Cleary Mind.”

This international competition was one of the largest for Collegiate DECA in years, according to Defever. There were 113 competitors from Michigan, making it one of the largest delegations.

“This achievement of our DECA students is a true testament to their talent, preparation and drive,” Dr. Alan Drimmer, President of Cleary, said. “What an exceptional performance! We couldn’t be prouder of their accomplishments.”

16 Cleary DECA students competed at the state event in Bay City earlier this year to qualify for the international competition, with 12 scoring a spot.

“We are so proud of our Cleary DECA students,” Kelly Genei, Dean of Undergraduate Studies and co-advisor of DECA, said. “Our students approached their events with confidence, poise and knowledge, demonstrating their strengths in business principles, which thoroughly impressed the judges.

Cleary’s DECA program was started five years ago by Genei.

“We are excited to see the program growing so rapidly and with such great achievements in a short time,” Genei said. “The DECA competitive categories fit perfectly with the concentrations offered at Cleary, and the focus on problem solving, communication and leadership skills is exactly what we try to develop with The Cleary Mind.”

The university offers several scholarships for DECA participants. A $4,000, $10,000 and $20,000 scholarship are all offered.

More information about the DECA program and scholarship opportunities can be found at cleary.edu.