Saturday, June 14, 2025
South Side High School senior Ella Burbige placed seventh internationally at the Distributive Education Clubs of America International Career Development Conference in Orlando for her work on a business growth plan for her nonprofit. The Heart and Sole Foundation, a student-led organization founded by Burbige, is dedicated to preventing sudden cardiac arrest in young athletes.
The honor marks the first top-10 international finish in South Side High School’s DECA history.
Burbige founded the nonprofit in June 2023 after a close friend survived sudden cardiac arrest during a high school basketball game. The foundation focuses on early detection of electrical heart abnormalities and donating Automated External Defibrillators to facilities in need.
In less than two years, Burbige has raised more than $10,000, held two free EKG screening events for over 200 student-athletes and donated life-saving AEDs to various locations in the Rockville Centre area.
Her DECA project, which she has been preparing since the end of last school year, was a 15-minute presentation outlining her five year business plan to grow and expand her organization.
“A key component is spreading my services to other communities,” Burbige said, “as well as donating AEDs to campuses.” She also said she wants to start “partnering with organizations helping push laws to mandate EKG screenings before sports seasons and having AEDs in all facilities.”
Burbige first placed first in New York State at the DECA State Career Conference in Rochester in March, qualifying her for the prestigious international competition, which featured top students from countries including China, Guam and Puerto Rico.
In order to be a part of DECA, club advisor Peter English explained, students have to have “an actual business” that is certified and recognized by the state.
“This is why, even on top of [winning], it is such a big deal,” he said, “because it’s a real life thing that she did, which is just so awesome.”
Burbige has been a DECA member since her sophomore year and credits the organization as her “best experience in high school” that has inspired her passion for business.
“It’s really different from a classroom setting,” she said. “You get to apply it to the real world and choose what you want to do and pick your strengths, and you just learn a lot about your skills and what you want to go into.”
Outside of DECA, Burbige is the captain of the varsity basketball team, co-founder of the Public Health Club, president of the National Honor Society and a member of student government. She plans to study business at the University of Virginia in the fall.
“We’re so proud of Ella and all of the South Side High School students who had such a great DECA season,” Patrick Walsh, principal, said. “DECA is a great example of taking classroom knowledge and applying it to real world scenarios.”
DECA prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management in high schools and colleges around the globe. South Side High School has one of the largest DECA chapters on Long Island, with about 200 students participating annually.
This year, 60 South Side students moved onto the state conference, and then 17 students went to the international conference.
