Nipmuc Students Attend DECA International Competition in Nashville



Nipmuc DECA at the Grand Ole Opry

"It was a meaningful trip because it helped with preparing me for a future career in marketing and gave me the opportunity to learn new 21st century skills needed in college and workplace readiness, such as collaboration, communication, and networking."  -Junior Sean Kelleher  

As junior Sean Kelleher stated in the quote above, Nipmuc students's participation in our DECA program continues to be a powerful way to connect learning in the classroom with the real world. Over the course of the past 10+ years, Nipmuc DECA has become a model program, providing students with a chance to find their passion for business, marketing, and entrepreneurship. As part of the DECA - an international business/marketing education program - students have the chance to complete year-long projects that they put to the test through local, state, and international competitions. So many students find a excitement for their studies and a path to their futures through DECA and the support provided by Mr. Gary Perras and Mr. Ryan Cody.

One of the goals for any DECA student is to have the chance to attend the International Career Development Conference (ICDC) each spring. This year Nipmuc sent its largest group of attendees to the ICDC, held in Nashville during the third week in April. Students had the chance to network with business-minded students from across the country, participate in workshops, compete with a pool of 18,000 international contestants, and experience life and culture in Nashville.

Congratulations to all of this year's ICDC attendees including: Hannah Barrows, Chris Bechara, Matthew Benoit, Jaclyn Bianchi, MacKenzie Callahan, Samantha Capalucci, Timothy Carey, Alyssa Cicconi, Abigail Colombo, John Dacey, Shane Dougherty, Kristina Dubois, Jack Ernst, William Gavin, Alison Goddard, Sean Kelleher, Thomas Keville, Kiley Larocque, Brandon Lefebvre, Meaghan MacKay, Kathryn McManus, Paige Murphy, Ryan Nelson, Angelica Puchovsky, Katie Sauer, Peter Schiloski, Abigail Sterling, and Joria Todd.

Left to Right: Matthew Benoit,
Brandon Lefebvre, Sean Kelleher

I had the chance to speak to several of the conference attendees to share their experiences. Congrats to all attendees including three finalists - Chris Bechara, Shane Dougherty, and Pete Schiloski - who had the chance to be recognized on stage in front of nearly 20,000 DECA members. I hope you enjoy reading about their most memorable moments from this awesome experience. 

Chris Bechara

The most memorable and meaningful part of the ICDC trip to Nashville was talking to students throughout the entire world and learning what being an entrepreneur has done for them. Discussing their passions for their businesses was also an amazing experience. 

Matt Benoit

The most meaningful part of my trip to Nashville was being able to experience a completely different culture from where I come from. I was able to see live music, beautiful views, and experience southern hospitality everywhere I went! The most meaningful part of the ICDC was sitting in the Bridgestone Stadium, looking at the thousands of people from around the world, realizing that all of my hard work had paid off. 

Shane Dougherty

The most memorable part of the trip was being called up on stage as a finalist in front of 18,000 students. There were more than 230 groups in our category. To be a finalist we had to have placed in the top seventeen. That was an assurance that all our and Mr. Perras's hard work paid off. 

Sean Kelleher

The most memorable part was the opportunities Nipmuc DECA experienced, including a concert at the Grand Ole Opry, the Nashville Sounds baseball game, the Massachusetts DECA party at the Wild Horse Saloon, the opening and closing session for DECA ICDC, and the tour/focus group of Universal Music Group in Nashville. It was a meaningful trip because it helped with preparing me for a future career in marketing and gave me the opportunity to learn new 21st century skills needed in college and workplace readiness, such as collaboration, communication, and networking.

Paige Murphy

Nipmuc Focus Group with
Doug Phillips, Director of Digital Marketing
for Universal Music Group, Nashville

To me, the most meaningful part of my trip to Nashville was being able to present the project that my group members and I worked very hard on. For months, our time and effort went into carrying out a community service project, and being able to present it one last time was one of the most rewarding things. Having the opportunity to do something like this was a great challenge and will most definitely carry over into my future experiences. 

Peter Schiloski

The most memorable part of my DECA ICDC trip was the whole southern experience we were able to take in through our travels. This trip allowed me to see a different style of life than my own which is something we do not get to do every day.