A record 114 Masconomet DECA team members have qualified to compete in the 2025 State Career Development Conference following their success in district-level competition.
About 220 students – comprising 25 percent of the High School population – were among 1,450 students from 10 schools who took part in the District 3 competition at the Doubletree in Danvers on Dec. 11 and 12.
DECA is a cocurricular organization of high school students that focuses on developing transferable skills for college and careers, building self-esteem, cultivating leadership, and stressing community involvement. Students could participate in more than 50 categories including marketing, hospitality, finance, and entrepreneurship.
Team and series competitors took a 100-question test, then performed a role play in front of judges. Role plays are common business scenarios where the student is asked to solve a problem and present their solution to the judge. Students conducted research, prepared a paper, and presented their ideas on the day of the conference.
Masconomet’s success was shared in a virtual awards ceremony, with those finishing in the top seven places advancing to the state competition from Feb. 27 to March 1 in Boston.
Masconomet’s DECA program is in its eighth year. Students are guided by three advisors, Business Teachers Bryan Duplissie and Madison Marc-Aurele, and Computer Science Teacher Jennifer Richard.
Duplissie, Marc-Aurele, and Richard congratulate all students for their participation, and thank the Masconomet administration, Business, and Computer Science Departments for their ongoing support.
District-level student winners were:
1st Place
- Simonas Bartusevicius and Thomas Meehan, Buying and Merchandising
- Taylor Blanchette and Merideth Brandt, Finance Operations
- Celia Russo, Franchise Business Plan
- Kaitlyn Mancini, Lilia Thomas, and Alba Vranari, Hospitality & Tourism Operations
- Neva Partal, Hotel and Lodging Management
- Jennifer Crosby and Cate Shaffer, Independent Business Plan
- Charles Antonakes and Aidan Colleran, Integrated Marketing Campaign Event
- Sophia Donnellan, Chloe Lodewick, and Amelia Sorpol, Integrated Marketing Campaign Service
- Jack Fiedler, Tyler Guaragna and Devin O’Brien, International Business Plan
- Lance Ponikvar, Principles of Entrepreneurship
- Veronica Bloxham, Principles of Marketing
2nd Place
- Alex Barrera, Automotive Services
- Ayla Geraghty, and Sari and Nicolle Sofronas, Business Services Operations
- John Green, Nathaniel Mroczek, and Chester Thompson, Buying and Merchandising Operations
- Stephanie Read, Food Marketing Series
- Lily Neilsen, Franchise Business Plan
- Luke Fiedler and JJ McKenna, Hospitality & Tourism Operations
- Grace Ross, Independent Business Plan
- Devlin Keon and Nathaniel Kingsbury, Innovation Plan
- Tara Thompson, Sports & Entertainment Marketing Operations
- Mercedes Carpenter and Annabelle Leblanc, Travel & Tourism Marketing
3rd Place
- Colin Doherty, Danny Karas, and Sam Richardson, Business Growth Plan
- Leonidas Koutoulas, Business Services Marketing
- Jonathan Adamczyk, Jimmy Farrell, and Kai Hird, Buying and Merchandising Operations
- Owen Walsh, Entrepreneurship Series
- Clara Emig and Evelyn Emig, Financial Literacy Project
- Abhay Sharma, Hospitality and Tourism Professional Selling Event
- Henley Shamsai, Hotel and Lodging Management
- Alia Chattha, Principles of Hospitality and Tourism
- Cole Tierney, Professional Selling Event
- Cash Kornusky and Christofer Young, Travel & Tourism Marketing
4th Place
- Lucien Raymond, Automotive Services Marketing
- Kaeley Forde and Madison Gibeau, Community Giving Project
- Nathaniel Antonakes, Tony Nguyen and Ben Richardson, Finance Operations
- Sardar Rahman, Financial Consulting
- Gabriel Franciosa and Ashwin Prasad, Start, Up Business Plan
5th Place
- Alex Cantalupo, Liam Ginley, and Nino Stefanelli, Business Services Operations
- Jordyn Fallis, Calista Farrin, and Sophia Tommasi, Business Solutions Project
- Natasha Bhatia and London Gray, Community Awareness Project
- Jack Allan, Human Resource Management
- Jack Engel and Kuin Hird, Integrated Marketing Campaign Event
- Ria Kundaliya, Ava LeBlanc, and Adelyn Ventura, Integrated Marketing Campaign Product
- Jac Nulsen, Principles of Hospitality and Tourism
- Patrick O’Malley, Restaurant and Food Service Management
- Alex Berry, Finn Eberhardt, and Adam Staffier, Sales Project
- Charlie Olson and Jacob Olson, Sports & Entertainment Marketing
6th Place
- Anna Gustafson, Maya Hunter, and Alessandra Scenna, Career Development Project
- Will Allen, Entrepreneurship Series
- Bella Mahon, Professional Selling Event
7th Place
- Chase Caron, Business Finance Series
- Davis DeLuties, Colin Driscoll, and Chase Lepore, Business Services Operations
- Arbri Halilaj and Hunter Rossi, Buying and Merchandising
- Victoria Cerbone and Keira Conley, Community Awareness Project
- Mason Harris, Quinn Lodewick, and Connor Mitchell, Hospitality & Tourism Operations
- Lisha Patel, Hospitality and Tourism Professional Selling
- Thomas Denton, Jonathan Pinelli, and Matteo Stefanelli, Independent Business Plan
- Liam Fullerton and Annabel Graham, Integrated Marketing Campaign Event
- Lila Bushey and Sophie Russo, Integrated Marketing Campaign Product
- Liam Gruener, Professional Selling Event
- Yianni Apostolopoulos and Henry Hoover, Sports & Entertainment Marketing Operations
SBE, School Based Enterprise (Retail)
- Genevieve and Elise Clapp
