WAKEFIELD — Superintendent David DiBarri is pleased to share that Northeast Metro Tech’s DECA chapter is enjoying it’s most successful year ever, with record membership and a successful competition year in which 12 members will attend the International Career Development Conference (ICDC) in Anaheim, California in April. 

The chapter’s membership now stands at a record 50 students, with all 50 of those students having competed in the District 6 competition in Beverly in January, where 42 advanced in competition by coming in the top 5 in their respective categories. 

Those 42 members then competed at the State Career Development Conference (SCDC) in March in Boston where a record 12 members qualified for the international competition.

“DECA has been an important part of our program for seven years. Each year, our students achieve even more and find new ways to engage with DECA as well as with our community,” said Business Technology Department Head Jaime-Lyn Pickles. “Last year marked our first time making it to ICDC, and that inspired more of our students to aim higher and work harder, and it is evident in the high level of achievement we are experiencing this year. We hope to keep trending in this direction.”

Those attending the international conference in Anaheim will participate in four areas.

Northeast Metro Tech is among 645 chapters nationwide that earned seats in the Thrive Leadership Academy, with sophomores Taylen Livingston and Jainer Reyes, both of Revere, earning the seats.

Throughout the fall, Northeast engaged in campaigns to grow membership engagement and build lasting partnerships within the school and the community. Specifically, the chapter volunteered at the Topsfield Fair, ran a fundraiser to donate money to Winchester Hospital and Melrose Wakefield Hospital, and hosted a number of alumni who spoke with current students about how DECA has helped them in college and beyond. The Chapter’s actions earned the seats, which will be filled by Livingston and Reyes.

Three more students, junior Colin DeCarlo of Melrose and sophomores Trevor Burt, of Melrose and Matthew Correia, of Wakefield, have earned leadership seats from Massachusetts DECA for engaging in the Shoot for the Stars Campaign. 

This is a state campaign for which Northeast had to meet certain criteria. By attending at least four non-competitive events and participating in at least three fundraising activities, they reached the Shine Level, earning the most seats possible. Those leadership seats are for the Elevate Leadership Academy. 

Northeast earned six seats in Anaheim by competing in School-Based Enterprises (SBEs) at the gold level. Northeast was among 728 school-based enterprises that achieved gold-level certification for the 2023-2024 school year, and each SBE is represented by two students. A school-based enterprise (SBE) is an entrepreneurial operation in a school setting that provides goods and services to meet the needs of the market. SBEs are managed and operated by students as hands-on learning laboratories that integrate National Curriculum Standards in marketing, finance, hospitality and management.

The SBEs represented NE Things School Store, the NE Essentials Vending Machine and the Breakheart Inn. NE Things School Store is being presented by juniors Melissa Domingos and Ashley Estrada Ramos, both of Revere. NE Essentials Vending Machine is being presented by sophomores Juliana Arevalo of Chelsea and Ava Calixto of Woburn. The Breakheart Inn is being presented by seniors Nicolas Boissonnault and Ashley Henriquez, both of Revere.

Senior Andrew Ring, of Saugus, earned the final seat via the Business Growth Plan competition for which students who own their own businesses document growth strategies for that business. 

Northeast had three student teams place in the top 10 at the state level, with one paper, written by Ring, placing in the top 5, thus earning him a chance to present his business to the judges in Anaheim. His business, A. Jarvis Foods and Services, began as a vending machine business and is rapidly expanding into food trucks and other vending opportunities.

“DECA is a great organization and I could not be more proud of our students for having achieved both record membership and record participation in DECA’s international competition,” said Superintendent DiBarri. “Congratulations to the Northeast Metro Tech DECA Chapter for continuing to improve and enrich student learning and lives.”