Fifteen thousand business-minded students from around the globe will compete in Orlando, Florida next month; eight of them are C.M. Russell’s very own.

Nathan Hood, Austin Baune, Chyanne Kohler, Alanna Whitehorn, Josh Wike, Dawson Reisig, Brit Kessner, and Adam Barton all qualified for nationals this April after placing in the state conference, and are led by Dave Stukey, CMR’s company instructor and DECA club teacher.

“We’ve got a good group this year,” Stukey said. “They’re really fun to work with.”

And the work has paid off. Besides earning a trip to Nationals this year, members of the team took second place overall in 2010.

This year, each student will participate in numerous solo events including marketing, business, and entrepreneurship, while also competing in team events for categories like public relations, which Hood, Baune and Wike are collaborating on.

The International DECA Career Development Conference is an annual competition; one at which CMR  students have fared well at in previous years.

“It gives them a chance to meet people from all over the world, and it’s a lot of fun for them,” Stukey said.

From April 29 to May 3, the students will compete, learn, discover, and display their knowledge with fellow peers from all parts of the world and the country

The conference is challenging, but Stukey and his team are confident in finding success.

After their hard work, they hope to reward themselves with a trip to Universal Studios and Cape Canaveral.