On Jan. 10, 2025, Owatonna DECA hosted its annual district event with a total of seven neighboring towns which included Austin, Faribault, Mankato East, Mankato West, New Richland, Redwood Valley and Waseca. The event, held at Owatonna Family Christian Church, allowed students to practice their business and public speaking skills through the three categories of events: roleplays, state-only events and prepared events. State-only events include interviews and sales demonstrations. Roleplays include a series of categories like Hospitality and Tourism as well as Sports and Entertainment to name a few. Prepared events include start-up business plans, innovation plans and marketing campaigns.
This year went very well for Owatonna students, as 119 DECA members qualified for the state competition, which will be happening during the first weekend of March.
Minnesota DECA has been around for 75 years and is one of OHS’ most involved clubs, with Bradley Scharber as the advisor. It is an attraction for students who are interested in developing skills like networking and adding to their interest of the business world. This organization is great for those wanting to get a feel for possible career choices after high school. DECA helps kids out of their comfort zone and connect with other high school students. The amount of students who joined shows how much they enjoy participating and how beneficial the club is.
This year, Owatonna had seven seniors elected to the role of an officer. They each have different responsibilities and are helpful with teaching first-year members what DECA is all about. One of the female officers is Lexie Klecker. She takes on the role of being the director of marketing and communications. She believes DECA requires very important social skills. Klecker says, “I think Public speaking is the biggest one. Being able to talk in front of everybody and not get too many nerves is important.” These are some of the skills Klecker has developed over the years of being in DECA. She is excited to see the benefits of being a DECA officer with a future interest in a career in business management.
This year’s district event was an accomplishment for all those who participated, whether they qualified for state or those looking forward to next year’s districts. Post districts, Scharber said, “I was really proud of the students. I felt like they had fun as well, which I was really happy about.” His response encourages new members to next year’s district event and prepares for the upcoming state competition.
