As a group the chapter took home the Gold Champion Chapter Challenge Award and the Hollis and Kitty Guy Award of Merit. According to the FBLA website, the Hollis and Kitty Guy Gold Seal Chapter of Merit Award recognizes outstanding local chapters that have actively participated in projects and programs identified with the goals of FBLA. The chapter was recognized as the Gold Champion chapter at the state convention as well.

Also back at state convention, one of the chapter’s wins was member Drew Himelein, who won first place at state convention in April for the Exploring Technology competition. This competition provides members with the opportunity to demonstrate knowledge around introductory competencies in technology and consists of an objective test. After his first place finish at states, Himelein won fourth at nationals, competing against all of the first place winners from throughout the country in Anaheim, Calif.

Also at nationals, Jeffrey Perry who is set to be the incoming state FBLA vice president, was selected as one of two state voting delegates for New York State.

“Jeffrey was selected to be one of New York’s two state voting delegates,” Clymer’s FBLA advisor Lisa Perry said. “He was so honored and excited to be entrusted with that responsibility. Each chapter/school gets to have two voting delegates to cast votes for their region’s vice president. New York is in the eastern region. There were multiple candidates for that position. Jeffrey Perry and Matilyn Rhines were our chapter voting delegates, but each state selects two students from the entire state to serve as the state voting delegates to cast the states votes for the mainline officer candidates.”

Clymer’s FBLA chapter members pose outside of the FBLA Nationals competition. Submitted photo

As one of the state voting delegates, Perry said Jeffrey Perry got to meet each candidate for each officer position, discussed their goals/campaign platforms, attended the caucus and question and answer session, watched and studied their campaign speeches during the general session, collected campaign materials, then discussed each candidate with FBLA students throughout the state and then voted for the state’s favorite candidates during the election.

“What an amazing way to learn about the political system by experiencing it in a positive way — all pure and honest positive energy and no negativity,” Perry said. “It was an amazing opportunity to get to know other strong student leaders throughout the country.”

Besides the competitions, Perry said the members of the chapter who got to compete at nationals also enjoyed themselves, from visiting the Pacific Ocean right on landing to spending a day on Hollywood Boulevard to find their favorite stars and visiting Mann’s Chinese Theater. The group also drove around Beverly Hills, using their phones to identify whose homes they were looking at and spent a day at Universal Studios and part of a day at Disney Land while waiting for the awards session to begin. Perry also noted that she got the chance to try her first Harry Potter themed Butterbeer drink there, a butterscotch slushie with whipped cream on top.

Perry said she could not be more proud of her FBLA students this year.

“I am so proud of how hard they all worked,” Perry said. “They were all champions to get there and as you know, nationals is the best of every state competing for those 10 trophies. The experiences of travel, competition, participating in elections, watching national finals presentations, attending workshops, meeting new people from other places was a life changing experience for them.”

Drew Himelein is pictured with his award for receiving fourth place in the Exploring Technology competition at Nationals. Submitted photo

Pictured are the members of the Clymer FBLA chapter who competed at the Nationals competition in California, holding their Gold Champion Chapter Challenge and Hollis and Kitty Guy Awards. Submitted photo