Southeast Missouri State University Alumni Association

Marketing Students Win in State Competition

Southeast Missouri State University Marketing Club students Kyle Jacobsmeyer of Florissant, Mo., Matt Biehl of Affton, Mo., and Markieta Huggans of St. Louis won high honors in the 2013 Collegiate DECA State Career Development Conference and Competition at the Four Seasons Lodge Feb. 21-22 in Lake Ozark, Mo.

Jacobsmeyer won first place in a marketing management simulation and second place in a sports and entertainment business simulation, competing in a field of outstanding entrants from the across the state. Biehl won second place in the sports and entertainment business simulation competition as Jacobsmeyer’s teammate. Markieta Huggans won fifth place in a fashion merchandising business simulation competition and fourth place in a retail management business simulation, again competing against outstanding students from throughout Missouri.

In all, the Lake Ozark competition featured about 250 competitors from Missouri colleges and universities.

In addition, several of the Southeast Collegiate DECA competitors were proficiency winners in their events, for superior performance in their role plays and marketing exam.

This year’s proficiency winners include: Amy Hanebrink of Cape Girardeau, Marketing Management Case Simulation and Human Resources Case Competition; Jacobsmeyer and Biehl, Sports and Entertainment Marketing; Huggans, Retail Management Business Simulation and Fashion Merchandising Business Simulation; Zheming Chen of Shanghai, China, Retail Management Business Simulation; and Thu Nguyen of St. Peters, Mo., Fashion Merchandising Business Simulation and Retail Management Business Simulation.

As part of its commitment to experiential learning, the Department of Management and Marketing in Southeast’s Donald L. Harrison College of Business has sponsored Collegiate DECA (formerly known as Delta Epsilon Chi, or DEX) for several years, and each year sends numerous participants to the state and international competitions. This spring semester, membership has remained steady with just over 30 members, making the Southeast Collegiate DECA chapter among the largest in Missouri.