A partnership with Worcester Credit Union yields first place for WTHS students at State DECA Conference

WORCESTER _ For three Worcester Technical High School (WTHS) students, taking home first place in their category in the recent Massachusetts DECA State Conference held March 6 - 8, 2014 at the Marriott Copley Hotel in Boston, was the pinnacle of many months of hard work. The Conference drew over 2,000 DECA students from 60 schools across the state.

Seniors Sha-Aisa Taylor, Marta Wasawiecz and Esmely Munoz will be going on to represent Massachusetts at the DECA International Career Development Conference in Atlanta, Georgia on May 3 - 6.  The students worked in a partnership with Worcester Credit Union (WCU) on a Financial Literacy Promotion Project that garnered them the gold.

At WTHS, each program of study has developed its own shop-related project that students are required to complete prior to graduation. In the Finance and Marketing Department, students are required to develop a comprehensive research report that is based on DECA guidelines. DECA is a non-profit student organization for high school and college students that prepares them to be emerging leaders and entrepreneurs in careers of marketing, finance, hospitality, and management.  John Foisy, Finance and Marketing Department Head, and a DECA Board Member, along with Lauren Hayes, Finance and Marketing teacher, were the students’ advisors and mentors.

“With the help of Worcester Credit Union (WCU), Taylor, Wasawiecz and Munoz’s project involved them reaching out to various community groups and helping to educate those groups on the basics of banking and credit,” Foisy said.

“WCU has had a branch at WTHS since it opened in 2006. In that time we have worked with over 100 students in the school’s finance and marketing program and given them the opportunity to acquire real business experience,” said WCU President and CEO, Karen E. Duffy. “We are proud to have had the opportunity to work with these students on their projects. We value their keen perception, insight and enthusiasm.”

Seniors Frances Taveras and Lindsey Bernier also chose to work with WCU on their project. The young women placed in the top 10 at the State Conference.  Their project involved researching WCU and its current branding, and then developing a detailed marketing plan targeting the collegiate community. The overall goal was to enhance and add value to the credit union’s brand.

“The research began with a focus on social media and the creation of a micro website focused on targeting a young adult market, specifically the local college student population,” Foisy said.

Taveras and Bernier consulted with both Duffy and PENTA Communications, Inc. CEO, Deborah Penta, WCU’s advertising and marketing partner, in order to develop a comprehensive project.

“The students are bright, engaged, and demonstrated to all of us that they have learned academically what they were able to implement practically,” said Penta. “I applaud Worcester Technical High School, John Foisy and the DECA team, for their commitment to excellence. It is clear why the High School has received so many prestigious accolades for extraordinary performance.”

“This has been an amazing and exciting opportunity for our students. We thank both WCU and PENTA Communications for providing our students with the expertise and support to make this a valuable learning experience,” said Foisy.  

“All these students spent innumerable hours on their projects and the research that was involved. Frances and Lindsey focused on social media and the young adult market, which is in perfect alignment with WCU’s vision for the future,” Duffy said. “Sha-Aisa, Marta and Esmely’s project of educating different groups on basic financial literacy speaks to WCU’s mission of supporting our community through educational outreach.”

Along with Taylor, Wasawiecz and Munoz, additional WTHS students who placed in the top four and will be attending Nationals are Abdallah Issa (Stock Market Game) and Kyle Geller (Professional Selling).

Other WTHS students who earned a fifth through 10th place and will go to Nationals should a team in one of the top spots decide not to attend include:

• Lishleynny DeJesus, Tiarra Fisher (Advertising Campaign)
• Tavia Rosario, Nico Perez (Entrepreneurship Promotional Plan)
• Taveras and Bernier

“We are so proud of all the students who participated in the State Conference,” Duffy said.” We will be rooting hard for those students who are going to Nationals to bring home another win for WTHS and our entire community.”

Worcester Credit Union provides members with a full menu of financial services and products that offer excellent value. Its commitment to community service, coupled with its commitment to its members is unparalleled. For more information, visit www.worcestercu.com and find out how to become a member.

PENTA Communications, Inc. is a full-service integrated marketing firm celebrating 25 years of excellence as the region’s oldest and most recognized full service strategic marketing firm. As a strategic marketing partner to many of the area’s most recognizable organizations, PENTA is recognized for its reputation, proven track record, and expertise to help bring organizations’ marketing, advertising, website presence, public relations, and growth to the next level. To learn more, visit www.pentamarketing.com.

Worcester Technical High School opened its doors in the fall of 2006. The $90 million, 400,000 square foot campus is in its seventh year of operation and has 1,400 students and 23 technical programs. It is the largest of the seven high schools in the City of Worcester. In 2013, the school was named a Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education. For more information, visit www.techhigh.us.