Pinkerton Academy students competed in a recent competition hosted by Distributive Education Clubs of America, besting teams from Bedford High and Phillips Exeter Academy.
BOSTON — North Andover’s Meaghan Irwin, an Endicott College sophomore pursuing a dream to become a clinical maternity nurse, found herself doing one of the hardest tasks in public speaking: talking about herself and her family in front of more than 1,000 people.
Irwin, a Teamsters Scholarship recipient, was invited to speak at the recent International Brotherhood of Teamsters Scholarship Fund Reception, which drew a massive crowd to the Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport and raised $3 million.
Her speech honored her father, a teamster who works as a heavy equipment operator at Massport, and the Teamsters’ union for its support of her family and her educational dreams. Before her father Eugene joined the Teamsters in 2018, she recounted, his demanding nonunion job required long hours and was taking a terrible toll on his health.
Today, Eugene Irwin has excellent health insurance and the support of his union brothers and sisters, Meaghan said. She told the audience that her father joining the Teamsters changed her family’s lives forever, calling the Teamsters Scholarship Fund a prime example of the union’s commitment to members’ families.
“The Teamsters scholarship has made a huge difference during my time in college,” she said. “This scholarship doesn’t just offer financial assistance, it offers stability. It has given me the chance to breathe, to focus on my education, and to fully engage in the college experience without constantly worrying about finances. It allows me to be a college student, not just someone trying to survive school while juggling endless responsibilities. Just like my dad, I’ve seen firsthand how the benefits offered by the Teamsters open the door to a more secure and hopeful path forward.”
While success for Meaghan ultimately means a career as a maternity nurse, she has an even more personal inspiration to earn her nursing degree. Her 86-year-old grandmother will soon move into their family home and she plans to care for her with all her skills.
As a featured speaker, Irwin shared the stage with U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan, Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien and General Secretary-Treasurer Fred Zuckerman and Teamsters Local 25 President Tom Mari.
The $3 million raised allowed the Teamsters to surpass $13.5 million for the Scholarship Fund. Teamsters’ local unions across the US, Canada, and Puerto Rico came together to attend the signature event.
Applications for the scholarship fund are open for Teamsters’ children, grandchildren. and dependents. Apply by April 1 at teamster.org/scholarships.
Commerce hosts networking mixer
HAVERHILL — The Merrimack Valley Chamber of Commerce held a Business Networking Mixer on Feb. 17 at Joseph’s Trattoria Downtown, 6 Moulton Way.
Members and future members of the chamber packed the eatery, engaging, collaborating and supporting one another. The evening offered networking opportunities, complimentary appetizers, and chances to win prizes at the door.
The chamber hosts events like Tuesday’s mixer to build the Merrimack Valley business community, connecting local business leaders.
Pinkerton shines at DECA event
DERRY — New Hampshire DECA hosted its statewide competition Feb. 11 through Feb. 13, with over 750 competitors from 22 schools.
Pinkerton Academy’s DECA chapter had 64 students competing and 29 earning first, second or third place in their respective events.
As a result of their performance, 28 Pinkerton students have qualified for DECA’s International Career Development Conference (CDC) in Atlanta this April.
In addition to individual achievements, the Pinkerton DECA Quiz Bowl Team (Natalie Aiossa, Edward Brzezowski, Boris Hadjiev and Arav Mahajan) won first place, defeating Phillips Exeter in the semifinals and Bedford in the championship round.
Campus Corner earned Gold Certification through a written project completed by managers Cali Lockwood, Jeremy Campos, Jadyn Piccolo and Franco Valverde.
Campus Corner is Pinkerton Academy’s official student-run school store and a DECA-certified School-Based Enterprise. Located on campus, it serves as a hands-on learning laboratory for marketing and business students, offering apparel, food, drinks, and snacks to the school community.
The Pinkerton chapter was also recognized at the highest level for its community service and promotional campaigns, highlighting Pinkerton DECA’s commitment to excellence both in and beyond competition.
Formerly Distributive Education Clubs of America, DECCA is a global, non-profit career and technical student organization with more than 300,000 members. It prepares high school and college students for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management through conferences, competitions, and classroom integration.
Clothing store opens in Salem
SALEM, N.H. — Friends, family and staff of Wicked Irish Clothing Company and members of the Southern New Hampshire Chamber of Commerce celebrated the grand opening of the clothing story with a ribbon cutting ceremony earlier this month.
The event featured bagpipes by Campbell Webster of the Dropkick Murphys, stunning Irish Step Dancers from Murray Academy, delicious food, giveaways, music and a full display of Wicked Irish’s vibrant apparel.
Owner Jimmy Lynch shared heartfelt remarks about the company’s mission and vision, emphasizing the joy of family, friends and shared experience.
Located at 107 Main St., Suite 1, Wicked Irish Clothing Company celebrates the simply joys of life, laughter and togetherness. Their spirited apparel reflects this ethos, designed to bring people together and create lasting memories with those who make life special.
To learn more, visit wickedirish.com
Fundraiser fights hunger
PELHAM — New Hampshire-based nonprofit Nourish New England reports its first annual New Hampshire World Christmas Market was a success, raising money to help fight food insecurity across the state.
The New Hampshire World Christmas Market was held on the grounds of the Anheuser Busch Merrimack Biergarten this past December. The all-volunteer event hosted by Nourish New England, a nonprofit based out of Pelham, featured over 80 food and beverage vendors including a variety of food trucks selling wares from around the globe.
Proceeds from the event, as well as items from a food and necessities drive at the market, supported charitable efforts across the region.
“We’re incredibly grateful for such overwhelming support from the community, said Nourish New England CEO Phil Meyer. “We were able to immediately donate over $13,000 to local organizations and families, as well as approximately $2,500 worth of food and necessities collected from the drive.”
Because of the funds raised by NHWCM, Meyer said Nourish New England was able to donate $5,000 to Feed the Kids in Nashua; $2,500 to The Merrimack Community Food Pantry at St. James United Methodist Church in Merrimack; $2,500 to St. John Neumann’s Catholic Church Food Pantry in Merrimack; $500 to Baby Steps Family Assistance of Claremont for their free Christmas dinner; $1,000 to food-relevant portions of the nonprofit Blood Cancer United; and $2,000 in grocery story gift cards to New Hampshire families in need.
“From feedback through these organizations, we learned over 50 families and 21 veterans received immediate help within the week we provided the food, clothing, necessities and money to support what proved to be a colder than normal winter in New England,” Meyer said.
As part of their 2025 fundraising effort, Nourish New England also helped support five local events in New England — Sandown Oktoberfest, Granite State Comicon in Manchester, and Poutinefest events in Merrimack, Burlington and Portland.
“We just celebrated out first anniversary on January 18,” Meyer said. “As a new nonprofit, we’re incredibly proud that we’ve been able to help fight insecurity across parts of New Hampshire with just one event.”
More information about NHWCM, as well as volunteer and sponsorship opportunities for the 2026 market, can be found at nhworldchristmasmarket.com
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