By Caelan Squires

Special student writer 

Students from Nipmuc Regional High School competed at the Massachusetts State Career Development Conference (SCDC) in Boston from March 12-14. 60 Nipmuc DECA students competed against more than 4,000 others in both projects and role-play events. Over the three days, students networked with peers and professionals from across the state and attended workshops focused on leadership and career readiness.

At the conclusion of the conference, Nipmuc DECA had a strong showing, with 21 students qualifying for the International Career Development Conference (ICDC), which will be held this April in Atlanta, Georgia.

Here are the State Champions from Nipmuc DECA:

•  Sean Bailey placed 1st in Hotel and Lodging Management.

•  Madelyn Weibe, Abby Mullins, and Lyla Hill placed 1st in Franchise Business Plan.

•  Savannah Carr and Kylie Yoon placed 2nd in the Community Giving Project.

•  Maddie Fernandes, Kayleigh Fountain, and Gretchen Merrill placed 3rd in Integrated Marketing Campaign - Service

•  Drew French, Adam Dubowik, and Caelan Squires placed 4th in Business Services Operations Research

•  Jack Calvey and Cooper Chaves placed 4th in Finance Operations Research

•  Alex Varney and Hasith Alturu placed 5th in International Business Plan

•  Zach Duplessis, Vinnie Geremia, and Lucas Lambert placed 6th in Buying and Merchandising Operations Research

•  Mithra Balaji and Chloe Kelly placed 6th in Franchise Business Plan

Along with these students, the following students were recognized as state finalists:

•  Ella Bandstra and Lianna Vasilakeris in Hospitality and Tourism Operations Research

•  Allie Basoli and Pat Garvey in Business Solutions Project

•  Kevin Ruddock in Innovation Plan

•  Cormack Devenney in Hospitality and Tourism Professional Selling

Qualifying students will now work to prepare for ICDC, where they will represent Nipmuc on a global stage.

The author is a member of the Nipmuc Writing Center