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Collegiate DECA members from around the globe gathered in San Francisco, California, from April 5-8, 2025, to participate in the annual International Career Development Conference (ICDC). Seven NDSCS DECA members attended the conference. 

This prestigious event showcased the talents and skills of the next generation of business leaders as they competed in various business-related events. Students participated in case studies, presentations, and simulations designed to challenge their knowledge in fields such as marketing, finance, hospitality, management, and entrepreneurship. 

The Collegiate DECA ICDC is more than just a competition. It's an opportunity for students to: 

• Network: Connect with peers, industry professionals, and potential employers.
• Learn: Attend workshops and seminars to enhance their business acumen.
• Grow: Develop leadership skills, build confidence, and gain real-world experience. 

"The International Career Development Conference is the highlight of the year for Collegiate DECA members," said Greg Anderson, NDSCS Collegiate DECA Advisor. "It's a chance to celebrate their hard work, recognize their achievements, and prepare them for success in their future careers. While we did not have any top place winners this year, it was more about these students giving their best effort and growing from that experience." 

Collegiate DECA prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality and management in colleges and universities around the globe. 

NDSCS Business students looking for professional growth and development are highly encouraged to participate in the organization annually. 

Photo Caption: (L-R Zoey Bohnenstingl, Leah Tibbetts, Sumer Roberts, Cooper Klosterman, Addison Gerdon, Ryan Otoole, Nicholas Langenwalter)

Jack Johnson, an ambitious 2nd-year Business Management student at NDSCS is already a successful entrepreneur and business owner.

Jack, a Breckenridge, MN high school graduate has always been an active and motivated individual. During his high school years, Jack gained a wealth of experience working with Summerville Electric and Krump Construction, and had community involvement by coaching youth basketball and football teams.

Johnson's entrepreneurial journey took a significant leap forward when he secured an LLC for his venture, Johnson Auto Detailing, in May 2022, shortly before his high school graduation. Over the past two years, Johnson Auto Detailing has been his sole source of income, demonstrating the results of his dedication and hard work.

As a small business owner, Jack's responsibilities include hands-on service of vehicles, marketing, and financial oversight. His efforts have not only accumulated a social media presence of over 900 followers but have also earned his business multiple nominations for the Spark Plug Award and the Chamber of Service Award by the Wahpeton Chamber of Commerce.

Jack's vision is grand—he's not just running a business; he's laying the groundwork for what he aspires to be a business empire. After graduating from high school, and although he was already a business owner, Jack started at NDSCS to increase his knowledge of business management to continue being successful. His decision to enroll at NDSCS in the fall of 2022 was fueled by the affordability of the institution, and his trust with the College. “I know a lot of people who have gone through NDSCS including some of my older peers. They've expressed to me how they have enjoyed their experience as a whole as well as learned a lot about their degree.”

Jack values in his education at NDSCS and has taken several principles from class with him into his work at Johnson Auto Detailing. He specifically credits knowledge he gained during his Sales class, which through various roleplaying exercises, pushed him to get comfortable talking to customers, and prepared him for dealing with people in difficult situations. This class, among others, have helped Jack apply his knowledge and skills to his business. Jack appreciates that faculty at NDSCS finds fun and engaging ways to teach, which keeps the classroom exciting. Jack has been an active student in the NDSCS Business Management program, including being a National qualifier for DECA.

As Jack continues to balance his studies and his growing business, he is proof that with the right education and support, the possibilities are limitless.

After graduating from NDSCS in May with his Business Management degree, Jack plans to continue to own and operate Johnson Auto Detailing. He will use his educational background to grow in his business experience. And with his drive for success and entrepreneurial spirit, it’s clear that Jack has fantastic opportunities and remarkable success ahead of him.

Learn more about Jack at Johnsonautodetailing.net.

North Dakota State College of Science (NDSCS) is proud to announce that thirty-six NDSCS Collegiate DECA members competed at the 2024 North Dakota Collegiate DECA Conference on February 21st and 22nd.

This annual competition brings together some of North Dakota's best and brightest business students from eight different colleges to compete in various business case study events.

Students were entered into one individual event and were also paired up in a team competition. In both experiences, the students were presented with a real-world business problem and then asked to solve the scenario in front of judges. Area Fargo/Moorhead business professionals served as judges for this event. 

NDSCS Collegiate DECA had 28 members qualify to compete at the 2024 International Career Development Conference in Austin, Texas in April.

Top award winners in individual events include:

• Emma Hagemeister (1^st Place) Sales Management and Leadership Event
• Wyatt Rittenhouse (2^nd Place) Retail Management
• Natalia Nazario (2^nd Place) Entrepreneurship Operations
• Madison Hagan (3^rd Place) Travel and Tourism 
• Adnan Rahman (3^rd Place) Entrepreneurship Operations
• Triton Kaercher (3^rd Place) Financial Accounting
• Lucas Allen (3^rd Place) Hotel and Lodging
• Moriah Blazek (3^rd Place) Human Resource Management

Top Team Event Winners Include:

• Kylie Geray and Emma Hagemeister (2nd Place) Business-to-Business Marketing
• Ava Bladow and Corissa Lang (2nd Place) Business Ethics
• Myah Jelinek, Natalia Nazario (2nd Place) Entertainment Marketing
• Lauren Oster and Savannah Puetz (2nd Place) Event Planning
• Moriah Blazek and Taylor Slominski (2nd Place) Marketing Communications
• Lucas Allen and Mathias Kackman (3rd Place) Marketing Communications

Gregory Anderson, the faculty advisor for NDSCS Collegiate DECA, commented “I was pleasantly surprised at how well our students performed. As is usually the case, almost all NDSCS Collegiate DECA members are first-year students who have never competed before, going against seasoned juniors and seniors from four-year colleges who have experienced both state and national competitions. For our students to do well, they had to display a certain level of confidence, and I think that is what showed. I will be very proud to see a number of qualifiers take the next step at the International Conference in Austin, Texas.”