Baldwin High School DECA Team Advances to State Conference for Second Consecutive Year

Following the recent DECA Regional Competition, three Baldwin students officially qualified for the New York State DECA Career Conference. 

Layla Gentles and David Kreutz earned their advancement in the Team Entrepreneurship and Team Decision Making categories, while Nirvana Gosine qualified in the Individual Career Development Project category. Their success marks the second consecutive year Baldwin High School has been invited to compete at the state level—an impressive achievement that speaks to the strength and rapid growth of the program since its launch in Baldwin last year.

“Congratulations to Baldwin High School’s DECA team, which continues to excel on the competitive business stage,” expressed Dr. Gabriella Franza, assistant director for instructional programs for Baldwin Union Free School District. “We are very excited for Baldwin to be invited to the New York State competition two years in a row. Thank you to Brendan Malin for his continued support of these students in his role as DECA advisor.” 

DECA (Distributive Education Clubs of America) is an international student organization dedicated to preparing emerging leaders and entrepreneurs for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management. Through competitive events and hands-on learning experiences, students apply classroom knowledge to real-world business challenges, including role-play scenarios, case studies, and comprehensive project presentations. More than 90% of DECA members report that the program has influenced their future plans for college and career. DECA members are also seven times more likely to study business topics in college. The Baldwin students join more than 300,000 DECA members across over 4,000 schools in the High School Division.

Dr. Neil Testa, principal of Baldwin High School, also expressed pride in the students’ achievements. “I’m incredibly proud of our DECA students and the effort they continue to put into this program,” said Dr. Testa. “Their success reflects not only their talent and commitment, but also the strong relationships and support that surround them. I’m grateful to Mr. Brendan Malin for his steady leadership as DECA advisor, and to our Business Department and Dr. Gabriella Franza for consistently putting students first.”

The three-day state competition will take place at Joseph A. Floreano Rochester Riverside Convention Center in March, bringing together thousands of aspiring business professionals from across New York State.

For more information about DECA, visit www.deca.org.