Pictured are the group of FBLA students from Clymer who competed at states. Photo courtesy of Clymer Central School’s Facebook page

Two of Clymer’s FBLA students, Roman Wassink and Kara Collins, sit on the school’s board of education as student board members, and the two reported on the chapter’s success during the April board meeting.

Wassink said that states was held two weeks before the meeting, and that the chapter earned second place chapter of the year, meaning they were the second best chapter out of the entire state. He added there was record attendance at states overall from all of the chapters in attendance, with almost 1,000 kids there. The school that Clymer’s chapter lost to for chapter of the year came from Manhattan, and the chapter they beat from Buffalo brought 186 kids to states. Clymer’s chapter had 15 students at states.

“This is our third year in a row getting second,” Wassink said. “We try our best to compete, but a lot of it comes down to when you have 186 kids come they can each do one thing, but when you have 15 of us we each have to do like 10 things. So, it just really comes down to, we try our best to compete and we do good, but the bigger the school the better chance you have.”

School Board President Ed Mulkearn said that the chapter’s success, especially with fewer kids there, is a testament to the kids involved in FBLA. The other successes the chapter had at states are as follows: first place champions; Addie Reynolds, outstanding new member, Middle Level Exploring Professionalism, Kaylee Rhines, Middle Level Exploring Business Issues Team, Middle Level Exploring Technology, Ethan Widrig, and Middle Level Exploring Personal Finance, Dakota Collins. Second place wins besides chapter of the year include; Middle Level Exploring Careers and Career Research, Gracelyn TeCulver, Middle Level Exploring Leadership, Ethan Widrig and Middle Level Exploring Personal Finance, Gracelyn TeCulver. Chapter members received third place wins in High School Community Service Project, High School Hospitality Management, Matilyn Rhines, High School Intro to Retailing and Merchandising, Kara Collins, Middle Level Exploring FBLA, Kaylee Rhines, and Middle Level Digital Citizenship, Peightyn Rzepecki. The chapter won fourth place in Chapter Annual Business Report done by Jeffery Perry and Matthew Perry and Marleen Lober won fourth for public speaking. The chapter also won second place for their chapter business display coordinated by Addie Reynolds and Matthew Perry with the help of the chapter.

Student board members Roman Wassink and Kara Collins reported on the recent success at states for Clymer’s FBLA chapter. P-J photo by Sara Holthouse

10 students from the chapter qualified for Nationals, coming up in June. Addie Reynolds was also elected state secretary for FBLA, and Jeffrey Perry was recognized as Outstanding State Officer for 2026, along with receiving the “Who’s Who” award.

“So out of the state officers the advisors pick (Outstanding State Officer) and it’s really like a whole testament to your entire year from when you start to when you finish as to who went the extra mile, who took the extra step,” Wassink said. “And they chose Jeffrey. He also got ‘Who’s Who in FBLA’, which I’m not entirely sure what all you have to do, but it’s really hard. It’s the most prestigious award you can receive, and he won it. Only one person in the entire state gets it.”

He will also get to walk across the stage at Nationals to represent the state. One other Clymer award went to Collins’s mother Beth Collins, who was recognized as the 2026 New York State FBLA Business Person of the Year for her support of the FBLA students at the local, district, state and national levels. She was nominated by the Clymer chapter and chosen by the NYS FBLA board of trustees.

Superintendent Beth Olson and Human Resources District Clerk Stephanie Leek got to come along to states as well to help with judging for the career portfolio competition. Olson said they were able to get a feel of how it works for the students and what they go through each day of the three-day event.