DECA

DECA State Event

Aiden Kalantarov

Mar. 25 2026

On March 4th, our school sent 5 students up to Rochester to compete in the 66th annual DECA State Event. Those 5 all won their regional event back in December and were looking to win Glass Upstate. The 5 students who competed were Justin Powers, Michael Seglin, Emily Cunha, Isabella Cezario (second time qualifying for states), and Aiden Kalantarov. Unfortunately, no one won a glass or qualified for ICDC, the DECA International Event, but we did have one student win a medal, Emily Cunha, who won a medal in her event, Marketing Series. The initial prep before states included the students studying on their own time, as well as bi-weekly club meetings. As soon as the students arrived in Rochester, they had a couple of hours to get settled into the hotel before going over to the convention center for the first time. They first had dinner and an initial orientation in what was described as “the largest room I’ve ever been in” by advisor Mrs Foufas. The next day, each student either took their individual test or partook in their roleplay event. The entirety of the club is extremely proud. Although the bus ride was lengthy, everyone enjoyed their experience and time participating.