UMN Crookston DECA Chapter Excels at State Conference; Nine Advance to International Competition

Students from the University of Minnesota Crookston DECA chapter delivered an outstanding performance at the 2026 Minnesota Collegiate DECA Career Development Conference, held February 19-20 in Willmar, Minn., with nine students qualifying for international competition.

The annual state conference provides students the opportunity to sharpen real-world problem-solving and professional presentation skills while competing in events aligned with DECA's mission to prepare emerging leaders and entrepreneurs for careers in marketing, hospitality, finance, and management.

Top performers at the state level advance to the DECA International Career Development Conference (ICDC), which will be held in April in Louisville, Ky. Nine UMN Crookston students earned top placements and will represent the University on the international stage.

In addition to competitive success, UMN Crookston students continue to demonstrate leadership across the state organization. Ayush Singh served as the 2025-2026 Minnesota State DECA President, and Nadia Delorme served as the 2025-2026 Minnesota State DECA Vice President. For 2026-2027, Diane Cilengi has been elected Minnesota State DECA President, and Christian Olvera will serve as Minnesota State DECA Vice President. State officer positions are elected by the Voting Delegate Assembly at the annual conference.

Award recipients from UMN Crookston include:

• Business Ethics: Sophia Haag (3rd), Blessing Alpha (3rd)
  
• Business-to-Business Marketing: Christian Olvera (1st), Casey Kendrick (1st)
  
• Corporate Finance: Diane Cilengi (2nd); Ahmed Yusuf (6th)
  
• Entrepreneurship (Growing Your Business): Blessing Alpha (1st)
  
• Entrepreneurship Operations: Ayush Singh (3rd); Ernesto Rafin (7th)
  
• Fashion Merchandising and Marketing: Sophia Haag (6th)
  
• Financial Accounting: Ahmed Yusuf (6th)
  
• Human Resource Management: Najeem Sekoni (4th)
  
• International Marketing: Ernesto Rafin and Saimon Shan (5th)
  
• Professional Sales: Diane Cilengi (1st)
  
• Restaurant and Food Service Management: Adreanna Kaas (1st); Casey Kendrick (2nd)
  
• Sales Management and Leadership: Wyatt Herrick (4th); Fanny Angamarca (5th)
  
• Sports Marketing: Wyatt Herrick and Nadia Delorme (3rd)
  
• Travel and Tourism: Saiman Shan (1st); Adreanna Kaas (5th)

Individuals interested in supporting the students' travel to the international conference may contribute at makingagift.umn.edu/give/fund.html?id=24861.

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