For Immediate Release

Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2018

Contact: Jessica Sacco
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: jessica@jgpr.net

Whittier Tech Students Compete in DECA Competition, Two Move on to State Finals

Students in Amesbury, Georgetown, Groveland, Haverhill and Newburyport Participate in Event

HAVERHILL – Superintendent Maureen Lynch is pleased to announce that 22 students competed in a DECA event last week and two will move forward to the state finals.

DECA, a nonprofit student organization, works with high schools and colleges to prepare emerging leaders and entrepreneurs for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality and management.

On Jan. 11, Whittier students in the business, culinary, and hospitality programs joined their peers at Merrimack College for a DECA event.

In only their second year with the international organization, Juniors Korin Griffin and Angela Spaulding placed third in a Hospitality Services Team Decision Making challenge and will advance to the statewide competition at the Boston Copley Marriott Hotel on March 8-10. Griffin and Spaulding were up against 23 other teams in their category and just five teams advanced from districts.

The Whittier Team competed against students from Danvers, Georgetown, Hamilton-Wenham, Haverhill, Masconomet, Methuen, Pingree School, Newburyport, North Andover and Peabody. Students challenged each other in a variety of categories, including Business Services Marketing, Buying and Merchandising, Entrepreneurship, Hospitality, Marketing Management, Retail Merchandising, Sports and Entertainment Marketing, and Travel and Tourism.

“We are very proud of all the students that participated,” said Whittier Marketing Teacher Amanda Crosby, who attended the event with Marketing Teacher Linda Sarno and Culinary Arts Teacher Cathie Baines.

Kole Haberland, a junior from Newburyport, said he appreciated the real-life practice in marketing. As a competitor in the Travel and Tourism section, he had to create a loyalty program for college students that included a study abroad program and internships, and also targeted athletes. He presented his ideas before a judge who portrayed a college student.

“It was helpful to have to think about what I’d really be doing in the workplace,” he said. “You have to talk with customers and check in with them and make sure they are satisfied with what you are doing.”

DECA student members are:

Seniors: Estefania Cruz-Aviles, Emily LeBlanc, Alyssa Cerullo, Shaindia Andino, Kim Frias, and Karee Gomez, all of Haverhill, Hannah Dalton, of Groveland, and Logan Slevoski, of Georgetown.

Juniors: Nick Nahid, Alex Alvarez, Korin Griffin, Angela Spaulding, Josmell Ramos Baez, and Keziah Torres, all of Haverhill, Sara Tashjian and Erin Procurot, of Groveland, Liam Healy, of Amesbury, and Kole Haberland, of Newburyport.

Sophomores: Darby Ortega, Ryan McCarthy, Jake Igoe, and Nylani DeAza, all of Haverhill.

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