On March 6, 2024, Middletown DECA students participated in the annual Connecticut DECAState Career Development Conference. DECA is an international student organization of approximately 225,000 high school and college students centered around Marketing, Management, Hospitality, and Finance. Middletown DECA, founded over 45 years ago, is one of our state’s oldest co-curricular student organizations, with approximately 200 members annually at MHS, and has been recognized the past 12 years as a top international chapter by DECA Inc. Our Marketing program has held the #1 ranking by the state Department of Education for the final four years of the rankings.
At this year’s conference, approximately 950 attendees from around the state took part in competitive events focused on Marketing, Management, Hospitality and Finance. The competitive events consisted of rigorous content-based testing and performing impromptu case study problem solving virtual presentations to industry judges. A wide variety of different events were available for students to choose from, all centered on career pathways and interests. Examples of events include business finance, marketing management, human resources management, business law, ethical decision making, entrepreneurship, and advertising campaigns. A typical event had 25 student competitors this year.
Middletown students once again shined with an amazing 33 student winners and 26 international qualifiers.
The students’ successes are a result of not only their hard work and dedication, but also because of the unwavering support from our cherished alumni, parents, community members and organizations, MHS Administration, MPS central office staff, student support services, library/media professionals, university partners like Johnson and Wales, the business community partners Linda’s Team/William Raveis and Men’s Wearhouse, school colleagues, Director of Innovation and Grant Services Natalie Forbes, Superintendent Dr. Vasquez-Matos, Mayor Florsheim, the Common Council, Middlesex Chamber, and Board of Education.
The students earning 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place in their respective category qualify to attend the International Career Development Conference held in sunny Anaheim, California, in April. At ICDC, 22,000 attendees from around the globe will compete in the same career-related competitive events.
Please help us congratulate the following students on their hard work and success:
1st Place and International Qualifier
Dana Kugeman, Accounting Applications
Gianluca Latina, Financial Services Team
Michael Gennaro, Financial Services Team
Aaryan Gautum, Marketing Management Team
Evan Langdon, Marketing Management Team
Michael-Anthony Kline, Financial Literacy
Jenna Carfora, Quick Serve Restaurant
Brody Miller, Restaurant Management
Owen Killkelly, Sports and Entertainment Management Team
Luke Weisenberg, Sports and Entertainment Management Team
Savino Civitello, Buying and Merchandising Team
Aiden Roy, Buying and Merchandising Team
2nd Place and International Qualifier
Havenie Polycarpe, Sports and Entertainment Management Team
Owen Bernard, Sports and Entertainment Management Team
Nana Obeng, Travel and Tourism Team
Lily Collins-carrion, Travel and Tourism Team
Gabe Kolosky, Restaurant Management
Mia Annino, Retail Merchandising
Janice Agyepong, Business Law and Ethics Team
Kaylinh Sukasame, Business Law and Ethics Team
Alex Cyr, Automotive Services Marketing
3rd Place and International Qualifier
Jamal Burnham, Entrepreneurship Team
Anthony Nanfito, Entrepreneurship Team
Jimena Trejo-Aguilar, Human Resources Management
Ailish McKenna, Principles of Hospitality
Kaidence Mason, Quick Serve Restaurant
Medalists
Xavier Emanuel, Sports and Entertainment
Sarah Gray, Marketing Communications
Dania Rabah, Hospitality Services Team
Erin Tortora, Hospitality Services team
Yousif Hamam, Restaurant Management
Qymesha Hutley, Food Marketing
Eleisha Douglas, Entrepreneurship
To keep apprised of all the wonderful accomplishments of our students, follow DECA on Instagram, TikTok, and X @middletowndeca
Thank you again for your continued support.
Dave Reynolds, Vivian Sheen, and Lee Schwartzman, DECA Advisors