On January 12, 2026, 58 students from Indian Hills High School attended Ramapo College in Mahwah, New Jersey, to compete in the Northwest District DECA competition. The districts are the initial steps in the DECA competitive season, for they allow students to qualify for the New Jersey State Conference and beyond.
DECA is a career and technical student organization that helps high school and college students develop into future leaders and entrepreneurs in the areas of marketing, finance, hospitality, and management. Through competitive events, members apply classroom learning to real-world business simulations and case studies. The organization places a very firm emphasis on critical thinking, communication, professionalism, and ethical decision-making, which prepares students for academic success and future careers.
In the weeks before the competition, Indian Hills students met regularly to prepare through practice exams, mock role-plays, and collaborative study sessions. These meetings allowed members to reinforce their presentation skills, strengthen their understanding of business concepts, and gain confidence in advance of the district competitions.
The competition started with a 100-question multiple-choice exam targeted at each student’s career cluster. After the exam, the participants engaged in role-play activities or team decision-making events. Depending on the activity, participants were allowed 10-30 minutes to come up with a solution to their on-the-spot business problem. Finally, they were allowed 10-15 minutes to deliver their response to a judge.
The students of Indian Hills High School had outstanding performances in a variety of events. The school had won first place in Entrepreneurship Team Decision Making, Financial Services Team Decision Making, Principles of Business Management & Administration, Sports & Entertainment Marketing Management Team Decision Making, and Travel & Tourism Marketing Management Team Decision Making events. Some students had top ten performances in various events, which allowed them to progress onto the state competition, which is held at Harrah’s Atlantic City on March 3-5, 2026.
Students who qualified for states had encouraging comments regarding their DECA experience. Junior Laila Fonti, along with fellow junior and DECA member Erin Han, said, “DECA has been a great experience so far; it has taught us important business and communication skills. People should join DECA because it prepares you for future careers and it develops skills you can use throughout your life.” Senior Tanaya Shah added, “It’s super fun and a great opportunity to build confidence and meet new people.”
Indian Hills Members Placing
Apparel & Accessories Marketing Series
9th – Yerick Alas Pineda
Business Law and Ethics Team Decision Making
6th – Laila Fonti, Erin Han
Business Services Marketing Series
3rd – Ben Piotrowski
11th – Peter Makhlouf
Entrepreneurship Team Decision Making
1st – Gabriella Matusevich, Liam Matusevich
3rd – Murad Avanesyan, Stefan Randazzo
Financial Consulting Event
5th – Christopher Vigeant
7th – Lucas Rosenberg
10th – Ethen Kwak
Financial Services Team Decision Making
1st – Jacob Lee, Tanaya Shah
5th – David Gerskowitz, Arman Ghavami
Hospitality and Tourism Professional Selling
11th – Frank Coppa
Personal Financial Literacy
5th – Braddock Dimasi
Principles of Business Management & Administration
1st – Delton Mayer-Costa
Principles of Finance
10th – Jordan Madonna
Sports & Entertainment Marketing Management Team Decision Making
1st – Miranda Civadelic, Morgan Quill
5th – Patrick Prendergast, Joseph Talamini
Sports and Entertainment Marketing Series
3rd – Olivia De Los Reyes
11th – Alex Witko
Travel & Tourism Marketing Management Team Decision Making
1st – Ava Blanke, Agustina Saldano
6th – Charlotte Meyer-Fuchs, Samantha Picinich
