Seven students to travel to Anaheim, Calif. to participate in conference.
By: Melissa Hayes
MONROE Seven high school students will travel to Anaheim, Calif., to participate in the Distributive Education Clubs of America International Career Development Conference on April 26.
DECA is a nationwide association for marketing teachers and students and hosts competitions on the state, national and international level.
The Monroe Township High School chapter of DECA participated in a state conference in Cherry Hill on March 13-15 and several students qualified for the California conference.
Seniors Kimberly Boyd, Shannon Brown, Jeremy LaSacco, Erin Massaro and Matt Rumolo, junior Chris Lee and sophomore Gina Antoniello will head to California in April for the competition and a leadership training academy.
Jeremy, Erin and Matt placed second overall for civic consciousness for their efforts to raise money for Heifer International and will now have to present their project to a judge at the upcoming competition.
"I’m nervous about the competition, but not presenting it," said Matt, a vice president of the club.
Heifer International provides food- and income-producing animals and training to resource-poor families.
The students raised $1,000 through fund-raisers such as a car show, by working at tables at the township’s Oktoberfest and a campaign called "help scare away hunger."
For the state competition, the students had to complete a 30-page research manual and present highlights of their project.
Matt said they were up against 18 other projects at the state conference and will probably compete against 100 more at the California conference.
Kimberly and Shannon, the club’s president and historian respectively, were given a gold level award and placed second at the state competition for their scrapbook. Each DECA chapter must present a scrapbook documenting chapter activities for the year.
Kimberly and Shannon’s book was 85 pages and will be on display at the conference.
The girls said they had to include a section on promotions and public relations, DECA week activities and chapter activities.
Chris and Gina were given platinum awards for their civic consciousness project, FC¯, which raised $498 for the Robert Wood Johnson Children’s Hospital Oncology Department.
In addition, Gina was elected New Jersey DECA president for 2005-2006.
Club advisor Debbie Stapenski said the school has had students elected to state positions, but never to president.
Gina said she was one of two candidates selected by Ms. Stapenski to compete in the election process.
During the state competition Gina was busy trying to garner votes from DECA members throughout New Jersey.
"I campaigned throughout the week trying to get votes. There are assigned voting delegates for each chapter," she said.
Gina also had a campaign booth set up and had to take a test exhibiting her basic knowledge of the DECA organization.
She will help the current state officers at the upcoming conference. As president, Gina is also responsible for running the New Jersey delegation and planning events and programs for the 2005-2006 school year.
While Jeremy, Erin and Matt are busy competing and Gina is helping to run the New Jersey delegation, Shannon, Kimberly and Chris will attend a two-day leadership development academy.
The guest director of that program will be George Hess from the television show the "Apprentice."

