Members of the Hauppauge chapter of New York DECA joined 3,454 high school business, finance, hospitality, marketing students, advisors and chaperones at the annual association career development conference held March 3-6, 2026 at Floreano Rochester Riverside Convention Center in Rochester, NY.
The following students received recognition of individual ability and achievement at the association level:
Annabel Adamo, Community Giving Project Event
Irina Bellassai and Allyson Winiarz, Community Awareness Project Event
Samvath Karanam, Entrepreneurship Series Event
These students will advance to international level competition at the DECA International Career Development Conference that will be held April 25-28, 2026, in Atlanta, GA.
It should also be noted that both Annabel Adamo and Irina Bellassai were inducted into the NY DECA Honor Society during the opening ceremonies.
Additional Hauppauge students who attended and competed at the conference included: Yashvi Shah, Naisha Mundra, and Samyuktha Karanam (Franchise Business Plan); Rebecca Millman and Mia Scarfo (Business Operations Research Event); and Ziqi Kim (Accounting Individual Series Event).
As an integral part of the classroom curriculum, DECA’s industry-validated competitive events are aligned with the National Curriculum Standards in the career clusters of marketing, business management and administration, finance, and hospitality and tourism. DECA’s competitive events directly contribute to every student being college and career-ready when they graduate from high school. Business professionals from across NY State evaluated the members’ performance in the format of role-plays, case studies and prepared presentations.
“The State Career Conference is about more than competition—it’s about growth, leadership, and courage. I’m incredibly proud of my DECA students for demonstrating all three while representing our school with professionalism and heart. Success isn’t measured only in medals, but in the confidence and determination it takes to step forward and compete. Seeing my students embrace this experience reminds me what education is truly about, and I hope they carry what they learned here with them in everything they pursue.” said Frank Hufnagel, Chapter Advisor.