Fifty-One POBJFKHS DECA Students to Compete in State Competition

PLAINVIEW, NEW YORK —Members of the Plainview-Old Bethpage John F. Kennedy High School (POBJFKHS) DECA Club were incredibly successful at December’s DECA Nassau County Regional Competition, resulting in 51 students qualifying for the New York State DECA competition in March.

At the virtual competition, 85 DECA students from POB had the opportunity to showcase to a panel of judges from around Long Island pragmatic and innovative solutions to business. Following the competition, individual and group qualifiers for the state competition were revealed.

“We are so proud of these extraordinary students, especially given everything they have had to endure over the last two years,” said Lindsay DeLucca, DECA advisor at POBJFKHS. “This is our largest number of state qualifying students that I have seen in my 15 years in this District.”

DECA allows students to refine their critical thinking and presentation skills with several business-centered challenges. Participating members are required to analyze a business case study in a category of their choosing, determine a solution, and then present their ideas to a panel of judges. Those who successfully plead their cases are then selected to move forward in the competition.

DECA (Distributive Education Clubs of America) is an association of marketing students that encourages the development of business and leadership skills through academic conferences and competitions. DECA, and other extracurricular programs offered by the District, allow students to pursue their interests and thrive both within and outside of the classroom.

INDIVIDUAL EVENTS (37 students)

Jesse Singer; Sports and Entertainment Marketing Series

Blake Becker; Sports and Entertainment Marketing Series

Matthew Bricker; Sports and Entertainment Marketing Series

Emily Sorgie; Apparel & Accessories Marketing Series

Dani Weissman; Apparel & Accessories Marketing Series

Remi Zelin; Apparel & Accessories Marketing Series

Ava Gutterson; Apparel & Accessories Marketing Series

Alexandra Paradise; Apparel & Accessories Marketing Series

Shawn Benson; Entrepreneurship Series

Joonseo Lee; Entrepreneurship Series

Fiona Wu; Marketing Communications Series

Paula Andrade; Marketing Communications Series

Brooke Calley; Marketing Communications Series

Gillian Miao; Marketing Communications Series

Sarah Fisher; Restaurant and Food Service Management

Dylan Germain; Restaurant and Food Service Management

Morgan Hesekiel; Restaurant and Food Service Management

Joseph Macedonio; Restaurant and Food Service Management

Daniella Pearlman; Quick Service Restaurant Management

Jonathan Lugassy; Quick Service Restaurant Management

Logan Saltzman; Food Marketing Series

Jake Bricker; Food Marketing Series

Avani Patel; Food Marketing Series

Benjamin Goldberg; Food Marketing Series

Gabriel Kefalas; Automotive Services Marketing Series

Jordan Slade; Automotive Services Marketing Series

Brandon Witz; Business Services Marketing

Sydney Epstein; Business Services Marketing

Jack Hartman; Business Services Marketing

Benjamin Kule; Hotel and Lodging Management

Leo Stearn; Hotel and Lodging Management

Cooper Kelly; Hotel and Lodging Management

Nicole Beinstock; Retail Merchandising

Max Marcus; Retail Merchandising

Gavin Botkin; Retail Merchandising

Julia Hall; Human Resource Management Series

Luke Berkowitz; Human Resource Management Series

TEAM EVENTS (14 students)

Hunter Cohen, Zachary Katz, Dylan Levin, and Sophie Weissman; Buying and Merchandising Team Decision-Making Event

Abigail Bell and Maya Kunis; Marketing Management Team Decision-Making Event

Emma Casavina and Alexa Hakim; Hospitality Services Team Decision-Making Event

Melanie Sebel and Gabriela Weinstein; Entrepreneurship Team Decision-Making Event

Cameron Garvey, Alex Reifer, Zachary Newmark, and Ethan Schwartzberg; Sports & Entertainment Marketing Team Decision-Making Event

For more information about the Plainview-Old Bethpage Central School District, please visit the District’s website at www.pobschools.org. Exciting activities happening throughout the District and programs celebrating student achievement can also be found on the District’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pobschools/.