Newberry/High Springs Entrepreneurship Students Bring Home Honors

ALACHUA COUNTY ‒ Members of the Academy of Entrepreneurship at Buchholz High School competed March 3-6 at the 62^nd Annual Florida DECA Career Development Conference with impressive results. Of the 136 students who won recognition and are now eligible to compete at the International DECA conference in April, two are from Newberry and one is from High Springs.

At the State conference, approximately 2,800 students from across Florida gathered in Orlando to compete in 50 different events during the four-day conference, with a range of 30-50 students in each event.

One competitive event winner was Newberry resident Lydia McGraw along with her teammates Ezra Yazdanpour and Trevor Davy, Gainesville, won Second Place for their Financial Literacy Project.

The second competitive event winner from Newberry was Emily Lathem, who competed with team member Max Schentrup, Gainesville, and received Third Place honors for their Integrated Marketing Campaign Service project.

A third competitive event winner was Spencer Dorosheff from High Springs, who won Second Place for Sales Project, along with teammates Jenna Phillips and Hannah Mack, Gainesville.

The Buchholz DECA chapter received the Diamond Chapter Award, which is the highest recognition based on multiple activities in four areas: community oriented, academically prepared, experienced leaders and professionally responsible. Buchholz school-based enterprise, the Spirit Spot was also recognized as a Gold level chapter.

DECA, formally known as Distributive Education Clubs of America, is a non-profit career and technical student organization with more than 225,000 members. The organization prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs in marketing, finance, hospitality and management in high schools and colleges around the globe.

Other competitive event winners were: First Place – Business Solutions - Ella Avera, Bridget Walsh, Madeline Quire, Second Place – Community Giving Project - Sophia Butler, Ellie Jobes, Dillon Menefee, Third Place – Restaurant and Food Services Management - Nick Holland, Place – Business Services Marketing - Macey Warring, Third Place – Food Services Marketing - Joel Chung, Third Place – Buying and Merchandising Team - Aiden Brake, Jazmine Vogler, 4th Place – Professional Selling - Logan Chatfield, Fifth Place – Community Awareness Project - Briley Cauthen, Elle Lentz, Gracie Wilson, Fifth Place – Integrated Marketing Campaign - Gracie Skinner, Brigitte Trabbic, Fifth Place – Marketing Management Team - Cade Cricchio, Layla Thomas, Sixth Place – Career Development Project - Heather Adair, Arden Leedy, Rachel Meyers, Sixth Place – Start Up Business Plan - Morgan Smith, Sixth Place – Financial Services Team - Nick Ladwig, Dylan Thomas, Sixth Place – Travel and Tourism Team - Riley Leiback, Luna Trujillo Suarez, Seventh Place – Integrated Marketing Campaign - Erin Larkin, Seventh Place – Retail Merchandising - Kylie Clinton, Seventh Place – Marketing Management Team - Jacob Kaercher, Al Munoz Garcia and Seventh Place - Principles of Business Management - Noah Perez.

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