Three students from Fox Valley Technical College’s Business Management and Marketing programs earned top five finishes at the Collegiate Distributive Educational Clubs of America (DECA) International Career Development Conference in Washington, D.C.

The student team of Colin Welbes and Ryan Wolf took 3rd place in the sports and entertainment marketing competition, while fellow student Ben Hanson earned a top five finish in a role play category for restaurant and food service. Students Denni Lecus, Brittney Workentine, and Brooke Wiegman each earned a top 10 finish at the conference. Overall, 19 FVTC business students competed at the conference.

Welbes and Wolf, FVTC marketing students and double majors with a pathway in business management as well, are enrolled in a program that produced 100% graduate placement for graduates from the class of 2013, according to the college’s most recent Graduate Employment Research Report. The same report cites an average annual salary of more than $35,000 a year for graduates of the Marketing program. Hanson’s program, Business Management, cited 90% graduate employment from the same report.

For more than 60 years, DECA has worked on many initiatives to prepare emerging leaders and entrepreneurs for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management. The annual international conference features the participation of more 1,600 students from the nation and abroad on behalf of two- and four-year colleges and universities, with some high school participants as well. Students compete in six areas: business management and administration, marketing and sales, finance and accounting, hospitality and tourism, communications and technology, and entrepreneurship.