The Mercer Island High School DECA team has qualified 19 students to advance to the International Career Development Conference next month in Anaheim, Calif.

DECA is an international student organization that provides real-world business experiences in a school setting. Students compete in DECA through extemporaneous business case studies that are judged by business professionals, or by submitting various projects that range from 30-page written international business plans to innovational entrepreneurship plans to ad campaigns.

The MIHS state DECA team of 93 students brought their best performances and business knowledge to the Washington state competition held earlier this month at the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue. Their advisors are teachers Jen McLellan and Shannon Tapp.

“These students have shown themselves to be both college and career ready as they compete on an international level, and will be stellar ambassadors from Mercer Island,” said Superintendent Dr. Gary Plano.

The students and their state placings are:

First place: Natalie Robinson — Food Marketing Series.

Second: Kelly Behrbaum, Sami Bender, Brynn Strother — Creative Marketing Project. Nikita Marcou, Carmen Schaeffer — Financial Services Team Decision Marketing.

Third: Hannah Puetz — Business Services Marketing.

Fourth: Nicole Mandt — Business Services Marketing. Nadia Lumba — Principles of Marketing. Nikki MacDiarmid — Financial Services Team Decision Marketing. Kate Miller — Financial Services Team Decision Marketing.

Fifth: Carter Melick, Kate Wheeler — Hospitality Services Team Decision Making.

Sixth: Spencer Luce — Personal Financial Literacy. Alex Platou, Hunter Bauman — Financial Services Team Decision Marketing.

Seventh: Sami Bender, Bryn Strother — Marketing Management.

Ninth: Marcus Schiller — Business Services Marketing.