Scottsbluff Public Schools

Over seven hundred students from 31 DECA Chapters competed at the Nebraska State Career Development Conference in Lincoln on March 18th & 19th.  Forty students from the Scottsbluff DECA Chapter qualified to attend the conference, held at the Cornhusker Hotel.  Students competed in a variety of events from written tests and judged role plays to written marketing research projects, advertising campaigns, entrepreneurship projects as well as team management decision making competitions.  Students who placed in the top three in an event qualified for the International DECA Career Development Conference to be held in Atlanta, Georgia on April 25-April 28, 2026.

Scottsbluff DECA enjoyed another successful year, earning 19 medals and auto-qualifying 8 members for the International Conference in Atlanta. Thirteen total qualifiers will compete at the conference this year. The top 3 winners/auto-qualifiers and their events are as follows:

• Oliver Carpenter, Nate Kelley, Ava Reed – Integrated Marketing Campaign-Product – 1st place
• MolliJane Smith – Hospitality & Tourism Professional Selling – 1st place
• Bianca McDonald – Professional Selling – 1st place
• George Schmall – Business Services Operations Research – 2nd place
• Cameron Figg – Financial Consulting – 2nd place
• Cameron Figg – Apparel & Accessories Marketing – 2nd place

Several other members placed in the top 8 in their respective role-play events which earned them a medal and the possibility of qualifying for the International Conference. Members who placed in the top 4 for written events did not receive a medal but were able to qualify for the International Conference.

• Hannah Gieck – Professional Selling – 3rd place
• Natalie Larsen – Financial Consulting – 3rd place
• Sophie Bracken – Financial Consulting – 4th place
• Sophie Hoehne – Hospitality & Tourism Professional Selling – 4th place
• Ava Reed – Entrepreneurship – Medalist
• Cali Treffer – Principles of Entrepreneurship – Medalist
• MolliJane Smith – Hotel & Lodging Management – Medalist
• Evellyn Milano – Human Resources Management – Medalist
• Natalie Larsen – Accounting – Medalist
• Nate Kelley – Restaurant & Food Service Management – Medalist
• Marissa Haun – Restaurant & Food Service Management – Medalist
• Addie Peck – Retail Merchandising – Medalist
• Oliver Carpenter – Sports & Entertainment Marketing – Medalist

More notable achievements include: Natalie Larsen and Hannah Gieck earned Gold-Level Re-Certification for the Cat Shack (DECA school store) and several members placed top 3 in either their exam or one of the role plays.