Eight Teams From CK FBLA Place Top Ten in Nation

This year is evidently the year for Cove FBLA students' success. Coming from Claysburg-Kimmel, with 18 members qualifying for the National Leadership Conference (NLC) this year, a new record was set for the chapter.

All the students eligible for the conference included members from both their middle and high schools: senior Cameron Claycomb; juniors Layla Diehl, Makenzie Ebersole, Hayden Lamborn, Kasey Mosser, and Dakotta Wilbur; sophomores McKenna Black, Jacob Conrad, Autumn Frazier, Levi Kennedy, and Launa Musselman; freshmen Alexis Eller and Cara Ebersole; and FBLA middle level members Blake Kulick, Isabella Paris, Alexys Tomlinson, and Adalyn Weyandt in eighth grade; and seventh grader Emma Kelly.

"This team set high goals at the beginning of the year and worked very hard to achieve them," said advisor Steve Walter.

Groups would spend hours practicing and improving their projects with the help from each other and their advisors.

Kasey Mosser, a student who qualified for nationals, said, "It came with a lot of extra hours at the school working with my group, practicing many many times with each other, having our advisor spend countless hours at the school as well just helping us, giving us recommendations. So like 'this was a really good idea' or 'this isn't such a good idea.'"

Nationals took place from June 29 to July 2, with 13 high schoolers and five middle schoolers from the district attending.

With each other and the community's support, the members did their best and performed with great success.

"At nationals, we all have our competitions, and whether our kids make it to finals or if they don't, we're all really supportive of each other," said Mosser. "While we're down there, we all go watch each other in finals so that way we have somebody that we know in the room. And it makes you feel better about yourself and it just gives you a better feel on what you're presenting."

15 members placed in the top ten at nationals, effectively setting a new record for the chapter.

Layla Diehl, Kasey Mosser, and Cameron Claycomb placed 3rd in Local Chapter Annual Business Report.

Dakotta Wilbur and Makenzie Ebersole placed 3rd in Public Service Announcement.

Alexys Tomlinson placed 4th in Exploring Business Issues.

Blake Kulick placed 4th in Elevator Speech.

Levi Kennedy placed 5th in Introduction to FBLA.

Autumn Frazier and McKenna Black placed 5th in Introduction to Business Presentation.

Isabella Paris placed 8th in Community Service Presentation.

Launa Musselman, Makenzie Ebersole, and Levi Kennedy placed 9th in Community Service Project.

Alexis Eller, Cara Ebersole, and Jacob Conrad placed 9th in Introduction to Social Media Strategy.

Cameron Claycomb placed top ten in finals both this year and last year. As a recent graduate headed off to UPenn, he said, "It's been a big journey and I've honestly done a lot through FBLA, and I can't thank my advisors enough for all the support."

Claycomb first went to nationals in seventh grade, and throughout the years, has served as an outgoing two-time State Officer and the National Eastern Region Vice President.

"I know when I was in seventh grade and attended nationals, I really looked up to the state officers and national officers at that time, so to have the opportunity to do the same thing now my senior year is the greatest feeling," he said.

Along with this being a record-breaking year for the chapter, one of the advisors, Mr. Walter, is retiring after 30 plus years of being an FBLA advisor.

"It was a very big thing that he got to see the success of our students," said Mosser. "We gave him a big send-off at the end of this year just to thank him for everything he's done for all of us through the years."

Claycomb said, "I'd like to thank my advisor Mr. Walter for all his help, and my other advisor, Miss Gresko. They've both done a lot for me in this journey and they've really shaped me and inspired me to be in the positions I am in today."

Students will miss him, but they are happy that they could show that all his hard work paid off.

FBLA also had two community service projects this year: Helping Hands, which donated to families in need, and Keep the Beat, which raised awareness for heart health and cardiac arrest.

Additionally, this year, Claysburg's FBLA achieved the Hollis & Kitty Guy Gold Seal Chapter Award for the 11th year in a row, as well as a Gold Level Champion Chapter for the second year in a row.

FBLA's theme this year was "Together We Achieve," and Claysburg-Kimmel is proud to say they achieved.