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Eight students bring home trophies for leadership

COURTESY PHOTO Eight Shelter Island students scored trophies at the January 3 DECA regional competition at Suffolk County Community College in Selden, while the team as a whole got some excellent experience that guidance teacher Martha Tuthill expects will serve them well in future competitions.
COURTESY PHOTO Surrounded by their teammates are eight Shelter Island students who scored trophies at the January 3 DECA regional competition at Suffolk County Community College in Selden. They are, front row from left, Francesca Frasco, Abby Kotula and Lindsey Gallagher and second row from left, Lyng Coyne, Isabella Sherman, Emma Teodoru, Tyler Gulluscio and Brandon Valasquez.

When school guidance counselor Martha Tuthill arrived on Shelter Island from the Greenport School District, she brought with her some ideas that had not yet taken root here. Among them was involving Island students in the annual DECA contest — previously known as Distributive Education.

The contest provides an opportunity for students to demonstrate writing, public speaking, marketing and entrepreneurial skills designed to showcase talents needed for emerging leaders.

This year — the third in which local students have competed on the regional level — several students won trophies in the following competitions:
• Senior Lindsey Gallagher and freshmen Emma Teodoru and Brandon Valasquez for job interview skills
• Freshman Tyler Gulluscio for wholesale sales
• Senior Isabella Sherman and sophomore Abby Kotula for sales demonstration
• Sophomore Lyng Coyne for decision-making marketing
• Senior Francesca Frasco for public speaking.

The regional competition was held on January 3 at Suffolk County Community College’s Selden campus.

In the past, the team has not participated in state competition because of the costs involved in travel. But this year, Ms. Tuthill said she’s hoping the eligible students will have an opportunity to demonstrate their talents on the state level.