Jovia Financial Credit Union partnered with Adelphi University’s Robert B. Willumstad School of Business to host the 2025 Adelphi Apprentice Challenge on November 7. The immersive competition gave high school students from across Long Island valuable exposure to business concepts, teamwork, and public speaking in a college setting.
More than 250 juniors and seniors from 28 school districts were divided into 25 teams to compete in the development of a creative marketing plan for a real-world case study provided by Jovia. Throughout the day, students learned essential marketing principles and worked collaboratively to design and present strategies before a panel of expert judges. The competition concluded with awards presented to the team whose marketing plan best demonstrated strategic insight, creativity, and real-world feasibility.
Serving as judges were Jovia’s Dennis Klemenz (Chief Technology Officer), Peter Purpura (Vice President, Business Development), Trish Graffigino (Assistant Vice President, Marketing), Rich Tavarez (Community Development Officer), Sacsha Flowers Calixte (Professional Development Lead), and Arianna Philippas (Digital Marketing Coordinator) joined by Adelphi’s Murat Erogul (Associate Dean, School of Business) and Donna Haynes (Director of Corporate & Foundation Relations), and Joseph Salamone, Founder and Executive Director of The Long Island Coalition Against Bullying, and Beth Bucheister, Executive Director of Career Day, Inc.