Three students will be representing De La Salle Collegiate at the DECA International Career Development Conference in Orlando, Florida, April 26 - 30. 

They each took top honors in their respective categories at the statewide competition held in downtown Detroit, March 13-15, at Huntington Place.  

• Nolan Kas-Mikha (Senior)  Automotive Services Marketing
• Evan Kelley (Junior) Financial Consulting
• Demetrius Kourtakis (Senior) Hospitality and Tourism Professional Selling

Mr. Dennis Koch, ‘94, who teaches Business classes and is the moderator of the DECA team, said, “I could not be prouder of our students—for their dedication, their willingness to take on new challenges, their commitment to learning, and their sportsmanship throughout the competition.”

Earning finalist status were

• Glenn Acre: Apparel & Accessories Marketing Series
• Vianni Giorgis and Liam O’Byrne: Business Law and Ethics Team Decision Making (Team #1)
• Joseph Hupfel: Principles of Marketing
• Andrew Koreck: Quick Service Restaurant Management Series

Also in attendance were the other 20 students who qualified at the December 2024 District Competition. 

The three headed to Orlando all noted the hard work that went into their finalist wins: 

Nolan: “Winning a state championship puts into perspective all the hard work and dedication it takes to learn the skills that differentiate you from others.”

Evan: “Winning in DECA comes from confidence and hard work. Winning means knowing I gave it my all and stayed calm while connecting with the audience.”

Demetri: “"Winning states is a pretty big deal and means so much because it honors all the work I've put into it. I spent hours creating and practicing my presentation, designed and made business cards, and even spent time on typing up a contract. My hard work paid off and that's the best part."

The weekend event for the DLS group also included a bowling outing at the Garden Bowl, owned by Dave Zainea '80. Koch invited the DECA teams from Chippewa Valley and Dakota High Schools. “Several of our students have friends on those DECA teams,” Koch said. 

All of the 4500+ students at the weekend competition also attended the Thursday, March 13, Detroit Pistons game at Little Caesar’s Arena.