POINT LOOKOUT, MO. — College of the Ozarks DECA members competed at the Missouri Collegiate DECA State Career Development Conference in Columbia, Missouri on Feb. 17, 2023.
Fifteen C of O students competed against students from 11 other Missouri colleges at the Stoney Creek Convention Center in Columbia, Missouri. Students were able to practice career skills by competing in several areas, including Business Ethics, Professional Sales, Event Planning, and Financial Analysis. Students received scores on a 100-point scale, and the top three scores in each category received trophies. Additionally, students attended learning sessions hosted by industry professionals from Bass Pro, Missouri State University, Veteran’s United, and the Columbia Convention and Visitors Bureau.
DECA exists at both the high school and collegiate level and is designed to encourage students to develop business-oriented skills and apply them to their future careers. This is the first year that C of O has participated in DECA competitions and had an official DECA chapter on campus. The club is sponsored by Dr. Emily Emery, assistant professor of business administration and has eleven official club members.
“I am so happy to see how this club has excelled in its first year,” said Rheanna Mulvaney, senior psychology major and president of the DECA chapter. “We wanted to make sure that students were gaining valuable experiences at competitions and getting the chance to network with future employers.”
“The competition was a really great opportunity and an enjoyable experience,” said Bryce Reinke, senior computer science major. “I was able to meet a lot of people and network with other companies while at the conference.”
Below is a list of students who competed and their respective placements.
| Student Participants & Placement Financial Analysis, 2nd − Blaine Cline, finance major from Ozark, Missouri |
| Financial Analysis, 2nd − Elise Schreiner, accounting major from Topeka, Kansas |
| Professional Sales, 2nd − Haileigh Jordon, history major from Granby, Missouri |
| Managerial Accounting, 3rd − Martin Krienen, accounting major from Shell Knob, Missouri |
| Entrepreneurship/SB, 3rd − Rylee Scott, marketing major from Carthage, Missouri |
| Entrepreneurship/SB, 3rd − Emma Spencer, business administration major from Lee’s Summit, Missouri |
| Entrepreneurship/SB, 3rd − Eden Strickland, marketing major from Washington, Missouri |
| Business Ethics, 3rd − Allison Barnard, marketing major from Kansas City, Missouri |
| Business Ethics, 3rd − Jalen O'Boyle, marketing major from Harmony, Florida |
| Event Planning 3rd − Rheanna Mulvaney, psychology major from St. Louis, Missouri |
| Event Planning, 3rd − Bryce Reinke, computer science major from Branson, Missouri |