Farmingdale Students Win Regional DECA Competition

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. (January 24, 2017) – The Farmingdale School District announces 24 Farmingdale High School business students recently won at the DECA (Distributive Education Clubs of America) Regional competition held at Freeport High School. These qualifying students now have the next challenge of the New York State DECA Competition, which will be held from March 8 through March 10 in Rochester, New York.

“We are very proud of the accomplishments of our students. They conducted themselves as true professionals and were rewarded accordingly for their hard work,” said Superintendent John Lorentz. “Farmingdale students consistently set the bar higher and higher with each passing year in all areas of education, and we are confident our students will be great ambassadors for our school district at the state-level competition. We wish them the all the best in Rochester.”

DECA is an international, student-centered leadership organization comprised of high school students, college students and marketing, management, entrepreneurship, finance, hospitality, and sales teachers. Through the DECA program students learn the vocational understanding necessary to compete in marketing, management, business and merchandising careers while still in school. With the guidance of Farmingdale advisers, students are prepared to be future leaders and entrepreneurs in careers such as marketing, finance, hospitality, management, and other business areas. DECA competitions are staffed by judges who are industry professionals and who provide students with a real-life basis for scoring and feedback.

“These students have been hard at work preparing their presentations since the beginning of the school year, and we are pleased to see them reap the rewards of their diligence,” said Farmingdale High School Principal Dr. Samuel Thompson. “Their work ethic and talent is representative of the commitment to academic advancement key to the District’s ongoing success.”

The 24 students who qualified to compete at the New York State level are:

• Abbygail Kydd Apparel and Accessories Marketing
• Danielle Hopkins Accounting Application Series
• Anthony Barbuto Automotive Services Marketing
• Matthew Pinna Business Finance
• Joseph Kosinski Business Finance
• Derek Widmer Business Finance
• Hannah Oemcke Business Law and Ethics Team Decision Making
• Alex Talkachov Business Law and Ethics Team Decision Making
• Alissa Kevan Business Services Marketing
• Stefanie Trifoli Buying & Merchandising Team Decision Making
• Hannah Komorowski Buying & Merchandising Team Decision Making
• Darius Bang Food Marketing Series
• Alex Blanco Food Marketing Series
• Monique Merritt Food Marketing Series
• Alexa Walker Human Resources Management
• Brian Melendez Job Interview
• Michael Foley Job Interview
• Lauren Demeri Marketing Communications
• Brendan Stryska Marketing Management Team Decision Making
• Luke Morales Marketing Management Team Decision Making
• Anum Rafiq Public Speaking Prepared
• Emily Podlewski Public Speaking Prepared
• Nijaure Ewa Quick Serve Restaurant Management
• Joseph Badalamenti Quick Serve Restaurant Management

“All Farmingdale High School students represented themselves in a professional manner and we continue to be very proud of them, not only for the hard work but also for the way they carry themselves,” said Donna Wright, co-advisers of the Farmingdale High School DECA chapter.

For more information about the Farmingdale School District and its exciting events throughout the year, visit the District’s website www.farmingdaleschools.org.