DECA Goes to State Competition

The Oklahoma Christian University DECA chapter wrapped up its second year of state competition this past weekend. After sending just five competitors to state last year, Oklahoma Christian’s DECA chapter doubled in size, bringing 12 students to compete across a wide range of business and marketing events. 

With that growth came expanded opportunities: Oklahoma Christian students competed in nine different events, including individual competitions like marketing management and corporate finance, as well as team based events such as digital marketing Strategies and Marketing Advertising Campaigns. The variety marked a big step forward for a chapter that is still in its earliest stages.

Faculty Advisor Wes McKinzie said the growth was exciting to watch. 

“After all five of our competitors won state championships last year, it was exciting to take 12 students to the state competition this year,” McKinzie said. “They did a great job preparing and showing they knew their stuff.”

For many returning competitors, this year felt more relaxed and more enjoyable because they knew what to expect. Jay Cordonnier, DECA president and competitor in Entrepreneurship: Starting a Business, said the experience made all the difference.

“This year has been so much more fun now that we understand what to expect at competition,” Cordonnier said.

That sense of preparation was echoed throughout the team. Joshua Drouin, who competed in Sports Marketing and the Marketing Advertising Campaign, said the difference was noticeable. 

“Compared to last year, I felt more prepared, and also everything has been a lot more fun with all the new people who have joined,” Drouin said. 

For some students, DECA has quickly become a passion. Avie Krebs, who competed in Marketing Management and also partnered with Mattie Baird in Digital Marketing Strategies, talked about how meaningful the experience has become.

 “DECA was started last year here at Oklahoma Christian, and now it’s starting to be a tradition I never want to miss,” Krebs said. “This year has been so fun so far, and getting to know the team is one of my favorite things.” 

Several students competed in DECA for the first time this year and embraced the challenge head on. Elijah Cleary and Christian Ross, who competed together in Digital Marketing Strategies, admitted that preparation was a bit last-minute, but the experience still exceeded expectations.

 “I was a little nervous going into this, having to cram two days before the event,” Cleary said. “But the atmosphere was amazing, and I truly enjoyed my time during the competition and with the team,” Ross added. 

“The pressure actually boosted my confidence.” “I was not as nervous as expected,” Ross said. “We had to cram two days before, but in a way this made me feel more confident about the competition, which allowed me to succeed.”

Results from the state competition will be announced on Thursday, with top finishers advancing to the international Career Development Conference in Louisville, Kentucky, this April. As Oklahoma Christian DECA continues to grow, this year’s competition showed that the chapter is gaining momentum and building a foundation for even bigger seasons in the future.