The Collegiate DECA chapter at Wichita State University brought home some serious hardware from the DECA’s 2025 International Career Development Conference (ICDC) Competitive Events Program. The conference, which took place April 5-8 in San Francisco, Calif., is a culmination of the DECA year where more than 1,200 members engage in competition, professional development academies and networking.
Ten members of the Wichita State DECA chapter were named competition finalists. Of those ten, Manas Madanambedu placed second in Entrepreneurship – Growing Your Business, the team of Michael Goldberg and Shawn Hulen placed second in Sports Marketing, and the team of Maley Hansen and Ronish Rasaily placed first overall in Business Ethics. This is the first time students from Wichita State have placed first in the competition. Of the ten finalists, seven were competing for the first time.
“I’m so proud of all of our competitors,” said Pattie Bradley, faculty sponsor for Wichita State’s Collegiate DECA chapter. “They all worked so hard to get where they are today. For many, this was their first time competing, which can be daunting. But they proved how smart and determined they all are.”
The competitions allow students to put their experience, skills and knowledge to the test in 25 different areas. They are split into three different categories: Prepared Business Presentations, Individual Case Studies and Team Case Studies. For the case study events, students are given a description of a specific situation and must provide solutions. For Hansen and Rasaily, they were challenged to analyze a business situation containing an ethical dilemma and present its resolution.
“I have been competing in DECA since high school and over the years, amassed many memories, titles, and awards but nothing quite compares to this,” said Rasaily. “It was one of the most surreal experiences of my life. Maley and I worked hard and to know that every hour of our work and preparation paid off is a moment I will never forget.”
“DECA changed my life in so many ways, both personally and professionally, and I can't wait for others to have that same experience,” said Hansen. “We are the first students in WSU DECA to get first place at ICDC, but we know we will not be the last.”
WICHITA STATE DECA FINALISTS
Team Competition
Maley Hansen & Ronish Rasaily - Business Ethics – 1st Place
Michael Goldberg* & Shawn Hulen* - Sports Marketing – 2nd Place
Hailee Hamilton* & Kamryn Nash* - Marketing Communications
Prepared Business Presentations
Manas Madanambedu* - Entrepreneurship, Growing Your Business – 2nd Place
Grace Skelton - Advertising Campaign
Individual Competition & Testing
Vivian Chau* - Travel and Tourism
Allison Hipp* - Restaurant and Food Service Management
Manas Madanambedu* - Restaurant and Food Service Management
*Denotes first-time competitors
For more information, visit wichita.edu/academics/business/DECA.