Exercise and Brain Power

Farmingdale, NY (March 17, 2021)—The New York Institute of Technology’s (NYIT) School of Management invited Farmingdale High School business students to participate in a marketing competition. The challenge? Help Blink Fitness of Farmingdale, located at 450 Main Street, increase its customer base and outreach to the Farmingdale community.

“We are so grateful for experiences like this,” said Farmingdale High School teacher Donna Wright. “Having our students connect what they are learning in the classroom to the real world is incredibly valuable for their future.”

Business Honor Society advisors Stacy Cabrera and Donna Wright created seven teams of two. Each group of two students participated in a virtual meeting with college professors from the School of Management at NYIT and the “client” franchise owner/operator, Allen Pinero, from Blink Fitness, to discuss Blink Fitness’s challenges.

Teams had one month to research and prepare a marketing plan. The teams then presented a 20-minute marketing plan to Mr. Pinero and the professors from NYIT, who appraised the students’ work. The criteria for judging included clarity of their oral presentation, quality of their research, the depth of the analysis, comprehensiveness of the target market audience, craftsmanship of appropriate media and message, and measurement of the results. Stacy Cabrera, Donna Wright, and the judges were so impressed with the students’ research, the ideas they generated, and the overall presentations, both visually and orally.

“These students are our future business leaders and entrepreneurs,” said Farmingdale High School teacher Stacy Cabrera. “As a business education teacher, I am proud to have witnessed the theory and skills I teach in the classroom translate to real-world problem solving and also help create a pathway and passion towards a future career.”

The following teams were recognized as the winners and received a monetary scholarship from the Farmingdale Chamber of Commerce:

1st place - Wendoly Barahona & Tasnim Rauzat $500
2nd place - Thomas Decker & Ani Smith $300
3rd place - Catherine Dillon & Aniqa Khan $200

Mr. Allen Pinero presented an additional $100 Community Spirit award to the team composed of
Olivia Espinosa and Vanessa Espinosa, for their demonstrated skill in creating ideas and strategies, focused on increased community marketability. In recognition of their collective efforts, Mr. Allen Pinero also has awarded each team a complimentary one-year membership to Blink Fitness.

The NYIT School of Management is a preeminent and distinguishable leader among institutions of higher education. Its mission is to provide high-quality, career-advancing business education opportunities within the context of a dynamic, technologically enabled, and global business environment, emphasizing activities and educational opportunities.

For more information about the Farmingdale Union Free School District, please visit the
district’s website at https://www.farmingdaleschools... and like our Facebook page:
@FarmingdaleSchoolDistrict.