Nearly 3,000 high school students across Bergen County competed on Tuesday, Jan. 13, in the North East Division DECA Regionals held at Ramapo College. Out of those competing, Pascack Hills made history and had 38 students advance to the state competition in Atlantic City from March 3-5.
DECA is a nationwide organization designed to prepare high school students for careers in business. It focuses on developing skills in marketing, finance, hospitality and management through academic competitions and leadership programs. Students participate in competitive events that simulate real-life business scenarios, such as role-plays, research presentations and papers. There are more than 50 different events for students to choose from.
The DECA process for Hills students began months before their first event when they chose their topics.
After selection, every student took an online test worth 30% of their regional grade. They each had 60 minutes to answer 100 questions related to their topic. There were many DECA workshops and meetings for new or inexperienced members to gain role-play experience for the regional competition.
Sophomore Jared Litt spoke about his experience this year.
“It’s been a very exciting experience,” Litt said. “When I first joined, I was never expecting to have any fun or success, yet through hard work and perseverance it has become something I look forward to and take great passion in. I am looking forward and excited to see what I can accomplish in the future!”
DECA advisor Corin Gamgort also showed enthusiasm for those who progressed to the next round.
The following members qualified for states:
Automotive Services Marketing Kyle Hanna
Business Finance Series Shaun Wu
Business Law and Ethics Team Lindsay Grus and Nina Indugula
Business Services Marketing Aanya Sah, Selen Sari and Maya Zislin
Buying and Merchandising Team Arianna Crabb and Sophia Kelly; Emily Cho and Isabella Degabriel
Financial Consulting Event Jagger Rose and Ethan Murphy
Financial Team Decision Making Luke Buonocore and Nathan Jeong; Ethan Karuru and Jared Litt; Max Klinchik and Austin Miller
Food Marketing Series Justin Yoo
Hospitality and Tourism Professional Selling Allison Cohen, Sabrina Madonick and Lucy Hepsen
Hospitality and Tourism Team Abby Lazar and Gabby Spinak
Human Resources Management Ashley Schwartz and Taleen Stephans
Marketing Communications Shayna Millman
Principles of Marketing Noa Kaufman, who made history as the first Hills student to take first place in this event, and Ava Agranovich
Principles of Hospitality and Tourism Gurnoor Kaur
Professional Selling Andrew Weishar
Quick Serve Restaurant Management Chloe DeCarli
Restaurant and Food Service Management Alexia Banting, Zahraa Islam and Alexis DeRose
Sports and Entertainment Marketing Carson Boffa and Robert Malcolm
Take a look at a photo gallery from DECA regionals below.
