Tyler Walker, Dylan Spak, Jacob Schmier, Addie Townsend, and Laura Da Silva after becoming State Champions in IBP. (Photo Courtesy King Philip Regional School District)
WRENTHAM — Students from the King Philip Regional High School DECA chapter earned top honors and qualified dozens of competitors for international competition during the Massachusetts DECA Career Development Conference held March 12-14 in Boston.
More than 4,000 high school students from across the state gathered in the Seaport District for the annual conference, which challenges students in business, finance, hospitality, and marketing through role-play scenarios, case studies, and presentations judged by industry professionals.
King Philip DECA members delivered one of the strongest performances in program history, qualifying the largest number of students in Massachusetts to advance to the DECA International Career Development Conference, which will take place April 25-28 in Atlanta.
“The positive energy from KP DECA this year has been overwhelming and inspiring!” said Chapter Advisor James Dow. “Our students worked incredibly hard to prepare for these events, and it was exciting to see that dedication translate into success at the state level.”
Students recognized at the conference included:
- Kendall Noonan and Ryan Love – Business Services Operations Research (BOR)
- Paige Dow and Grace Rutan – Business Services Operations Research (BOR)
- Hallie Huot and Dhatri Daggubati – Business Services Operations Research (BOR)
- Sage Heslin, Abigail Host, and Delanie O’Shea – Buying and Merchandising Operations Research (BMOR)
- Nyla Kelly and Hiya Valia – Buying and Merchandising Operations Research (BMOR)
- Caelen Quinn & Hayden Houlding – Buying and Merchandising Operations Research (BMOR)
- Ashley Cleverdon – Finance Operations (FOR)
- James Dow II and Owen Collins – Hospitality and Tourism Operations Research (HTOR)
- Arya Doye and Vaishu Chintaluri- Hospitality and Tourism Operations Research (HTOR)
- Kellan Lussier and Adrian Astin – Hospitality and Tourism Operations Research (HTOR)
- Cole Faford and Luke Rogers – Hospitality and Tourism Operations Research (HTOR)
- Ryan Antonellis, Lucas Raymond, and Brendan Lawler – Sports and Entertainment Operations Research (SEOR)
- Natalie Collins and Courtney Lewis – Sports and Entertainment Operations Research (SEOR)
- Violet Berthiaume and Audrina Jaber – Business Solutions (PMBS)
- Lili Lopes, Mary Musial, and Gabe Zafflon – Community Giving (PMCG)
- Hailey Dalton and Jill Wynn- Community Awareness (PMCA)
- Daania Talat and Adriana Gomez – Financial Literacy (PMFL)
- Eve Rose and Lusia Harmon – Sales Project (PMSP)
- Tyler Spak, Annie Griffin, and Justin Uriarte – Sales Project (PMSP)
- Isla Hollowell and Kellan Sperling – Innovation Plan (EIP)
- Bailey Cederbaum and Olivia Chavers – Innovation Plan (EIP)
- Jett Tucker, Jack Haltom, and Logan Riley – Start-Up Business (ESB)
- Nate Crowley and Eli Hoyt – Start-Up Business (ESB)
- Greg Manley and Ty Decarteret – Independent Business (EIB)
- Ryan Brown and Chris Delvecchio – Independent Business (EIB)
- Dylan Spak, Jacob Schmier, and Tyler Walker – International Business (IBP)
- Addie Townsend and Laura Da Silva – International Business (IBP)
- Will Buckley, Ryan Dervin, and Declan O’Connell – Business Growth Plan (EBG)
- Evan Allen, Beckett James, and Alex Weinberg – Franchise Business Plan (EFB)
- Patrick Sower, Zion Dumay, and Jacoby Kennedy – Franchise Business Plan (EFB)
- Angelina Karavasileiadis and Emily Jacobsen – Franchise Business Plan (EFB)
- Rowan Kavanah and Brayden MacDonald – Integrated Marketing Campaign Event (IMCE)
- Alanna Brumbaugh, Saorise Noonan, and Caroline Duffy – Integrated Marketing Campaign Event (IMCE)
- Turlo O’Brien – Integrated Marketing Campaign Product (IMCP)
- Tristan Carty, Joey Gilmore, and Edward Kelly – Integrated Marketing Campaign Product (IMCP)
- Sabrina Bishop and Ashton Fisher – Integrated Marketing Campaign Product (IMCP)
- Nora Garland and Ella McManus – Integrated Marketing Campaign Service (IMCS)
- Sienna Hicks and Olivia Wainwright – Integrated Marketing Campaign Service (IMCS)
- Noa Montfort, Cooper Doire, and Landon Kozik – Integrated Marketing Campaign Service (IMCS)
- Gabby Cataldo and Lillian Almeida – Integrated Marketing Campaign Service (IMCS)
- Keith Joseph and Greta Mischley – School-Based Enterprise (SBER)
- Aidan Carone, Jayson Lussier, and Luke Bailer – Stock Market Game (SMG)
- Brent Schneider and Justin Basile – Fast-Pitch Challenge
- Louise Bourque and Nora Tobichuck – Fast-Pitch Challenge
“This performance represents the strongest group of qualifiers KP DECA has ever sent to the international conference,” said Tyler Walker, co-director of competitive events.
The chapter also received several major honors at the conference. For the second time in program history, the KP DECA officer team earned Platinum status in DECA’s Chapter of Excellence program. The school’s student-run store team also placed first in the School-Based Enterprise competition.
In addition, four KP DECA members earned leadership opportunities at the international conference through Massachusetts DECA’s inaugural Fast-Pitch Challenge, and co-president Ryan Brown was recognized as a DECA scholarship recipient.
“We are incredibly proud of these students and the work they put in to reach this level,” said Superintendent Dr. Rich Drolet. “DECA gives students the chance to apply what they learn in the classroom to real business challenges, and this group has proven they can compete with the best in Massachusetts.”
About King Philip DECA
King Philip DECA is a high school business organization. The group is part of a larger network of nearly 300,000 high school students worldwide. DECA prepares young leaders and entrepreneurs, in high schools and colleges, globally for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management. Students will create a project of their choice and partake in three rounds of competition — Districts in Mansfield, SCDC in Boston, and International Career Development Conference (ICDC) in Atlanta, Georgia. For more information about King Philip DECA, visit the KP DECA website.
About DECA Inc.
DECA is a career and technical student organization that prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs who are interested in careers in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management. DECA enhances the preparation for college and careers by providing co-curricular programs that integrate into classroom instruction, apply learning, connect to business, and promote competition. DECA student members leverage their experience to become academically prepared, community-oriented, professionally responsible, and experienced leaders. DECA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with over 240,000 members in 3,600 high school and college chapters in nearly all 50 United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, Guam, and Germany. For more information about DECA, visit deca.org.
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Students Adriana Gomez, Daania Talat, Audrina Jaber, and Violet Berthiaume after becoming State Champions. (Photo Courtesy King Philip Regional School District)