This year’s annual Massachusetts DECA state conference has officially come to a close, and it is important to recognize the many accomplishments coming from Danvers DECA. After months of preparation, many students participated in the previous district competition, and further attended the state competition at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center located in Seaport.
In particular, Danvers achieved success, with 131 total competitors, 51 finalists, and 41 ICDC spots earned.
Top winners include the group of Darius Chung, Charlie Morries, and Kevin Ouellette (1st Place), Kelly McCrae (1st Place), William Conklin, Giovanna Rodrigues, and Madison Wescott (1st Place), and partnership Olivia Henry and Brooke Wilichoski (1st Place).
At DECA competitions, students have the opportunity to participate in various types of events. Some of these events include role-plays, written projects, and team decision-making.
Competitors fought to make it to the final presentations, where they were required to place in the top six or seven in order to compete later on in April, at the International Career Development Conference (ICDC) taking place in Orlando, FL.
Olivia Henry, first place winner, reflected on her work and determination to reach first place at the competition, as well as a spot in the national competition.
“I was very proud of the work I had put into my project, I had spent the last couple months preparing and working endless hours to make this possible,” Henry said. “It felt good to have this hard work recognized and I’m excited to take my project to the next level for nationals and get to compete at the highest level!”
This competition acted as an opportunity for students to present their rigorous work and capabilities, in hope of reaching further goals. The state competition represented the power of Massachusetts DECA, the 8th biggest program in the nation.
