On March 15, 2025, Shamrock DECA set a new record with 58 students advancing to the Michigan DECA State Career Development Conference in Detroit. There, students competed in various hospitality, finance, management, and marketing events.

At the state level, DECA offers two primary types of competition: written events and role-play events.

In written events, students prepare and present a comprehensive solution, plan, or proposal to a judge. For example, one event requires students to develop a new product idea and explain why it would succeed in today’s market. In role-play events, students are given a real-world business scenario related to their category, for example, Automotive Marketing Services. They then have 30 minutes to prepare a solution and 15 minutes to present it in front of a judge. Students competing in role-play events earned their place at the state conference by winning district champion medals earlier this year.

The Shamrocks didn’t just show up in record numbers—they delivered record-breaking results.

• 15 students earned test medals for top performance on the comprehensive exam.

• 4 students were awarded medals for top scores in individual and team role-play events.

• 33 students were recognized as state finalists, earning medals for placing among the top performers in their events.

• 16 students were awarded DECA glass as overall state champions in their respective categories, qualifying them to compete at the DECA International Career Development Conference (ICDC) in Orlando, Florida.

• 3 additional students will also compete at ICDC, having previously qualified through their top finish in the Stock Market Game.

• 1 additional student will also compete at ICDC, having previously qualified through their 3rd place national finish in the Social Media Marketing Game.

• 6 more students were selected to represent Michigan in the DECA Leadership Academy held concurrently at the international conference.

• 1 student was also recognized as a top 10 performer in the state on the comprehensive math exam. 

With 26 students heading to compete or participate in leadership programming at ICDC, Shamrock DECA continues to raise the bar, demonstrating the strength, talent, and dedication of its members.