Danvers High Qualifies Record 132 Students For DECA State Conference

DANVERS, MA — A record 132 Danvers High students representing more than 60 projects qualified for the DECA State Career Development Conference in Boston later this month.

The Distributive Education Clubs of America prepares students for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality and management. The Massachusetts program includes eight districts of competing high schools.

Danvers High DECA students performed very well in the District 3 competition held at the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel in Danvers on Dec. 11 and Dec. 12. Students who finished in the top seven in their respective category qualified for the state conference. There were 10 schools and more than 1,500 students competing.

Some competitors took a 100-question test and then performed a role-play in front of the judges, solving a problem and presenting their solution to the judges. Other students conducted research, prepared a paper and presented their ideas on the day of the conference.

"The conference highlights the creativity and hard work of our DECA students," DHS business teacher and DECA advisor Meghan Beaulieu said. "Many of the projects were connected to our school district and the community."

Three Danvers High seniors were the project managers for a project that was undertaken with the Smith Elementary School — Boss Babies — in which two dozen Smith fifth-graders made products.

Audrey Lapine, Kelly McCrea and Lizzie Farrell worked with the students on developing a budget, creating products, packaging and brand logos, and selling the products, which included lava lamps, slime, jewelry and knitted items.

The Boss Babie project culminated in a business fair at which students from other classes came down and spent their Boss Bucks on the products the other students created.

"It is always incredibly impressive to see the amount of collaboration, analysis, and innovation that our students put into their DECA projects," DHS Principal Peter DiMauro said. "We are very proud of their continued success.

"It is especially gratifying to see them working with younger students and making a difference in the community."

The goal is for DECA students to be academically prepared and community-oriented.

"DECA helps build a variety of skills in students," Beaulieu said, "from communication to collaboration to problem-solving.

"Their commitment and passion for the work leads to success and prepares them for their future."