The Collegiate DECA International Career & Development Conference was held April 4-9, 2025 in San Francisco, California. The conference had over 1300 participants representing 200 colleges and universities across 30 states, England, and Puerto Rico.
The Wisconsin Technical Colleges and the University of Wisconsin Campuses attend this action-packed professional conference and compete in testing, prepared events, case studies, and sales institutes.
The conference kicked off with a thought-provoking presentation with Rob Lawless – Keynote Speaker He has a goal of meeting 10,000 people around the world through personal introductions and documenting the lessons learned. He provided advice for developing relationships with people, and he challenged us to be open to all possibilities. He asked: If your identity was a pie chart, what would be the breakdown of categories for how you define yourself? Rob’s met over 5,400 people from over 90 countries! His website is Robs10kFriends if you’re looking for some inspiration.
Students attended professional development sessions, A San Francisco Giants game and networked with their peers.
One of our attendees commented: “This experience has meant so much to me and I’m so happy I invested the time into Collegiate DECA, I feel so much more confident.”
The final two days were focused on competing in case studies and/or prepared events with preliminaries on the first day and the final competition the next day. Everyone spent their free time preparing for the competition, doing homework, enjoying the attractions, shops, and restaurants in the city.
Tip – Don’t hesitate to plan a trip to San Francisco, it exceeded our expectations! We walked everywhere, and the San Francisco Marriott Marquis was the perfect location for a conference and had wonderful customer service!
WCTC 2025 National Competitors and Event Results
Business Research
Ursula Rose – Finalist
Top 10 after final round for case study
Entrepreneurship – Starting a Business
Julia Hickey
Entrepreneurship Operations
Julia Hickey
Human Resources
Ursula Rose – Finalist
Top 10 after final round for case study and exam
Marketing Management
Karina Gibson
Sam Kellen
Sales Professional
Sara Jordan – Finalist
3rd Place after final round for prepared case and exam
Sales Management and Leadership
Sara Jordan – Finalist
Sports and Entertainment Marketing
Gabby Bautista – Finalist
Alex Daubert – Finalist
Enterprise Rent a Car – Sales Challenge
Julia Hickey
Sara Jordan
Sam Kellen
Collegiate DECA Leadership Passport Award
Ursula Rose
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!
The chapter members thank the Student Government Association and Waukesha County Technical College for their continued funding and support. We’d also like to thank everyone for participating in our fundraisers and the staff at DECA Inc. for a great conference.
A gigantic thank you to Susan Dragotta, LCB, CGBP , Andrea Weber, SHRM-CP , Marc Smathers, Melissa Caldwell , Jon Koch Jennifer H. , Brad Piazza , Jim Nowak and Andrea Wolf for their help preparing and coaching students at our practice sessions. Ann Mack and Ed W. appreciate everyone’s support.
Collegiate DECA Overview
DECA Inc. is an internationally recognized organization for college students preparing for business careers. DECA programs engage students from a variety of educational disciplines while maintaining a strong focus on business-related areas such as Marketing, Management, Human Resources, and Entrepreneurship. Activities promoted by Collegiate DECA integrate critical life skills and enhance the student’s college experience through applied learning.
Interested in Supporting Collegiate DECA or Volunteering?
The Collegiate DECA organization has been part of WCTC since 1969. We have a history of providing exceptional experiences for students and have a strong group of alumni and stakeholders who continue to invest in the organization.
We are always looking for guest speakers, mentors, sponsors, and judges to bring their experience, energy, and talents to the organization. We also have graduates and students looking for internships and marketing careers! Hint, hint, hint….
Please contact Ed W. or Ann Mack if interested in donating, volunteering or if you’re looking for talent.