Thursday, October 1, 2026
Three Baldwin High School students, Layla Gentles, David Kreutz, and Nirvana Gosine, have qualified for the New York State DECA Career Conference, following the recent DECA Regional Competition.
Gentles and Kreutz earned their advancement in the Team Entrepreneurship and Team Decision Making categories, while Gosine qualified in the Individual Career Development Project category. Their success marks the second consecutive year Baldwin High School has been invited to compete at the state level—an impressive achievement that speaks to the strength and rapid growth of the program since its launch in Baldwin last year.
“Congratulations to Baldwin High School’s DECA team, which continues to excel on the competitive business stage,” said Gabriella Franza, assistant director for instructional programs for Baldwin Union Free School District, in a release sent to the Herald. “We are very excited for Baldwin to be invited to the New York State competition two years in a row. Thank you to Brendan Malin for his continued support of these students in his role as DECA advisor.”
DECA (Distributive Education Clubs of America) is an international student organization dedicated to preparing emerging leaders and entrepreneurs for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management. Through competitive events and hands-on learning experiences, students apply classroom knowledge to real-world business challenges, including role-play scenarios, case studies, and comprehensive project presentations.
More than 90 percent of DECA members report that the program has influenced their future plans for college and career. DECA members are also seven times more likely to study business topics in college. The Baldwin students join more than 300,000 DECA members across over 4,000 schools in the High School Division.
Neil Testa, principal of Baldwin High School, also expressed pride in the students’ achievements in the press release. “I’m incredibly proud of our DECA students and the effort they continue to put into this program,” he said. “Their success reflects not only their talent and commitment, but also the strong relationships and support that surround them.”
The three-day state competition will take place at Joseph A. Floreano Rochester Riverside Convention Center in March, bringing together thousands of aspiring business professionals from across New York State.
