DECA is an organization that focuses on business education in topics such as marketing, tourism, personal finance, and accounting.

Each year, DECA chapters around the country compete in local district competitions, finding the highest scoring members throughout each district. After district competitions, state qualifiers from each school go on to compete in the state competition, facing off with other qualifiers within the state. Then from the state competition, the highest scoring members of each subject move on to the international competition, going against some other great students from each state, as well as from Canada. 

To find who has the highest score, members take a 100 question multiple-choice test that is related to their subject. From there, the students typically compete in person at the district competition, 

At these competitions, the average score of each member’s test score combines with their roleplay and/or presentation scores. 

This year, the local district DECA competition was held at Mid Rivers Mall on Feb. 9. There were a total of 15 high schools in the district, including schools from Fort Zumwalt, Francis Howell, Union, Warrenton and Wentzville.

After competing most of the day, DECA members sat down at 1:30 p.m. for the awards ceremony. In total, eight members placed first in their event, seven members placed second, and five people placed third.

Missouri DECA state competition will be held in Kansas City this year between March 13-15, 2022, and 25 students will be representing Liberty in the competition.

DECA State Qualifiers

Principles of Marketing

1st- Sathvika Pudur Ravi Shanker

3rd- Maddie Abernathy

Principles of Personal Finance

1st- Emma Mulherin

Principles of Hospitality and Tourism

3rd- Kaitlin Stumpf

Finance Consulting

2nd- Ginna Counterman

Food Marketing Series

1st- Sarah Dickson

Accounting Applications

1st- Madalyn Breckenridge

2nd- Leah Kaler

Marketing Communication Series

1st- Arthi Kondapaneni 

Start-Up Business Plan

2nd- Brett Kercher

3rd- Isabelle Grothoff

4th- Garrett Bullock

Buying and Merchandising Operations Research 

2nd- Audrey Fleetwood 

3rd- Brooklyn Giessman

Marketing Management Team Decision Making

1st- Bella Bahr and Carson Clay

Financial Team Decision Making

2nd- Makenzie Kieling and Ben Meyer 

Apparel and Accessories Marketing Series

2nd- Audrey Fleetwood

7th- Vianca Malave-Torres

Innovation Plan

4th- Madalynn Blakely

Hospitality and Tourism Operation Research

3rd- Sarah Dickson

Business Financial Series

4th- Cleopatra Mozolewski 

Hospitality & Tourism Professional Selling

1st- Jessica Wagner

Automotive Services Marketing

4th– Ethan Besowshek 

Retail Merchandising Series

5th- Garrett Bullock

Restaurant and Food Service Management

7th- Ava Reidy

If you have any questions regarding DECA or FBLA, please contact 

DECA: [email protected] or [email protected]

FBLA, Future Business Leaders of America, is another club here at Liberty that focuses on business-related subjects including accounting, advertising, journalism, graphic design, and much more. 

FBLA is very similar to DECA, as their testing process is very similar, with a standardized multiple-choice test, often followed by an in-person presentation. 

A total of 30 schools from within all of Saint Charles County competed during the district competition on Feb. 8, with districts such as Francis Howell, Fort Zumwalt, Hazelwood, University City, and Saint Dominic. 

There was a total of 17 students from the FBLA chapter at Liberty have qualified for the State Competition held in Springfield, MO from April 10-12. 

FBLA State Qualifiers:

Accounting 2: 

3rd Place- Ben Meyer

4th Place – Makenzie Keiling

5th Place – Madalyn Breckenridge

Business Calculations: 3rd Place – Patrick O’Day

Business Plan: 2nd Place – Raksha Thiagarajan

Computer Problem Solving: 3rd Place – Manav Raja Vinotha

Cyber Security: 3rd Place – Manav Raja Vinotha

Graphic Design: 5th Place – Lydia Hamby, Annika Pastrana, London Powell

Hospitality and Event Management: 4th Place – Aidan Berry

Introduction to Business Concepts: 1st Place – Anna Simms

Job Interview: 3rd Place – Amira Khayyat

Journalism: 3rd Place – Anna Simms

Networking Infrastructures: 5th Place – Manav Raja Vinotha

Personal Finance:

2nd Place – Patrick O’Day

3rd Place – Ben Meyer

Publication Design: 5th Place – Lydia Hamby, Annika Pastrana, London Powell

Also qualifying for State:

David Jarrett – Computer Problem Solving

Alex Djidjev – Computer Problem Solving

David Jarrett – Cyber Security

Phoebe Eikel – Healthcare Administration

Anumitha Vaka – Journalism

Amira Khayyat – Personal Finance

If you have any questions regarding DECA or FBLA, please contact 

DECA: [email protected] or [email protected]