Thirty-one Penta-Bowling Green DECA members attended the statee DECA competition in an in-person format for the first time since 2019.

Eight senior chapter members were chosen to present and compete in Atlanta at the International Career Development Conference in April. Those seniors include Elsa Concannon, Isa Herrera, Stella Ferris, Hannah Judson, Matthew Stevens, Zach Thomas, Ella Strum and Alexa Thompson.

Ohio’s State DECA Competition, held March 11-13 in Columbus, is an opportunity for students who placed at the district competition to showcase their knowledge and skills in marketing, finance, entrepreneurship and hospitality at the state level. It is also a competition that honors DECA’s top marketing students in the state.

“The environment was very positive and it was really great to connect and network with other DECA members from all over Ohio. I feel as though I learned more about DECA as a whole as well as things about myself that only these school experiences make you realize,” said senior Ella Strum who competed in Quick Serve Restaurant Management.

During the school year, junior and senior BG DECA members work to strengthen their knowledge of the business world. Ultimately, they aim to compete and make it to the international level. DECA competitions such as their Career Development Conference this past weekend aim to submerge students in scenarios and circumstances as close to the real-world and international competition level as possible.

Competitors who place in the top four of their event move onto the International Career Development Conference.

Bowling Green results include:

Senior class

Elsa Concannon and Isa Herrera, 1st place in Business Law and Ethics

Stella Ferris and Hannah Judson, 4th place in Integrated Marketing Campaign

Zach Thomas, 4th place in Community Giving Project

Zach Furnas and Jacob Jicha, top 10 finalists in Sports and Entertainment Marketing

Robert Archer and Matthew Stevens, top 10 finalists in Finance

Jayden Haylett and Caroline Peek, top 10 finalists in Integrated Marketing Service

Thompson Black, Brynna Gaines and Alexa Thompson, top 10 finalists in Sales Project

Junior class

Alex Lewis and Alec Ross, top 10 finalists in Innovation Plan

Macy Ash and Londyn Thompson, top 10 finalists in Entrepreneurship Team Decision Making

Tyler Thompson, top 10 finalists in Retail Merchandising

Audrey Geyman, top 10 finalists in Principles of Finance

The Bowling Green Marketing Education/DECA program is a satellite program of Penta Career Center.