Three Valley City State University students qualified for and competed at the Collegiate DECA national competition earlier this month in California.

Senior Jalynn Anderson, sophomore Matt Belgarde and junior Sarah Monilaws all represented VCSU in competitive events at the Collegiate DECA International Career Development Conference, held April 5-8 in San Francisco.

Anderson and Belgarde both medaled (Top 10) for top exam in the Restaurant and Food Service category at the national event. The students also took part in professional development and networking opportunities as part of the conference.

The trio qualified for nationals with Top 3 performances at the North Dakota state competition in February. Anderson placed 1st and Belgarde took 2nd at state in the Restaurant and Food Services category. Monilaws placed 2nd at state in Hotel and Lodging, and she was also voted North Dakota DECA Vice President.

The 2026 national event will be held in Louisville, Ky. For more information about VCSU DECA, contact club advisor Wesley Wright at wesley.wright.1@vcsu.edu.