DECA is a nationally recognized organization that incorporates business, marketing, and economics into competitions. The DECA officers for the Owatonna Chapter are Ivette Torres, Daniel Keller, Samantha Schuster, Katie Segler, Amy Oldenburg and Amanda Collins. They coordinate all members here at OHS and are elected by Adviser Scott Pierce. After 13 years, DECA has produced multiple members that continue to place and qualify at the state and national level.

On Jan. 13, 2017 OHS DECA students participated in a DECA district competition. OHS students competed against Faribault, Austin, Mankato East, Mankato West, Northfield and Pine Island students to determine who would qualify for the state competition on March 19-21 in Minneapolis. This year Owatonna had a staggering 59 students qualify for DECA state. In order to qualify for the state DECA competition each participant must score well on an updated marketing exam taken prior to the competition, and beat out other students in their events at the district competition. Pierce said, “This year OHS has a large number of students that will participate at the state competition and I am excited to see how many finalists we have. Hopefully we can add some students to our list of national qualifiers.”

After DECA state there is the national DECA competition which will be held in Anaheim, California from April 25-29. In past years OHS has only sent a few students per year. OHS DECA officers have already guaranteed their spots at nationals through special projects only few DECA members are allowed to compete in each year. After DECA State, Pierce is looking forward to adding more students to that list of national participants.