Expand<\/a><\/p>\nAlong with competing in the circuit of regional and statewide challenges, the Crestwood FBLA participates in several other student-business activities. Its members have competed in the virtual Stock Market Game, a virtual stock market simulation for students; virtual business challenge simulations; the Business Achievement Awards; and the LifeSmart challenges. In November, the Crestwood FBLA officer team attended the Pennsylvania FBLA State Leadership workshop at the Kalahari Convention Center in the Poconos.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just think (FBLA) is a good way to network with other people from other school districts, gain leadership skills, and compete at a fun level,\u201d Crestwood FBLA Vice President Adison Huber said.<\/p>\n
Crestwood senior Julianna Dodge, another FBLA member, said she initially wanted to join the chapter after seeing her friends sign up and soon found areas where she excelled.<\/p>\n
\u201cI went to a bunch of workshops and I did presenting and I found that I really liked presenting,\u201d Dodge said. \u201cIt gave you a sense of confidence, in being able to do it and prepare with your friends.\u201d<\/p>\n
The team\u2019s success is not an aberration. The Crestwood FBLA chapter is now a three-time recipient of both the Gold Seal Merit and Gold Champion Chapter awards. At the 2025 national FBLA competition, held in Anaheim, California over the summer, then rising Crestwood junior Nidhi Patel finished in ninth place in the Introduction to Business Procedures competition.<\/p>\n
In addition to its competitive success, the Comets have launched several community-service projects. The Crestwood FBLA team partnered with several local businesses, as well as the Crestwood Education Association and the Crestwood student government, to provide 132 Fairview and Rice elementary school students with backpacks and school supplies at the start of the school year. It also raised $1,856.71 through its participation in the Walk to End Alzheimer\u2019s in October, made Veterans Day cards for local veterans, donated five truckloads of food to St. Paul\u2019s Church, and collected toys to donate to local children during the holidays.<\/p>\n
Crestwood senior Kyra Bechtel, the chapter\u2019s FBLA historian, said she was proud to carry on the Comets\u2019 FBLA legacy. She noted the Crestwood FBLA chapter was founded in 1981 and has worked in the community for over four decades.<\/p>\n
\u201cFBLA has been a really big influence throughout Crestwood\u2019s history,\u201d Bechtel said. \u201cI feel really proud to be able to call myself a member of the FBLA, just knowing some of the amazing people who have come before me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Laubach, the Crestwood faculty advisor, can appreciate the history of FBLA in the region. Laubach herself served as an FBLA chapter president while a student at Hazleton Area High School and helped rejuvenate the Comets\u2019 program after coming to Crestwood 26 years ago. She credited her mentor at Hazleton Area, Joseph Gavio, with instilling her with a lifelong commitment to business education. At the 2025 State Leadership Conference, the Pennsylvania FBLA awarded Laubach its award for Outstanding Advisor of the Year.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just really had a passion for FBLA,\u201d Laubach said \u201cThey (the students) learn a lot of professional and personal skills that will help them advance in any career they choose, not just a business career.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Crestwood school board also took pride in the team.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a person that\u2019s in business, I\u2019m a huge fan of this program,\u201d Crestwood school board member Shawn Gallagher said. \u201cThe stuff you\u2019re learning is real. This is stuff you\u2019re going to use.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s going to serve you well in life that you\u2019re participating. Just all the volunteer activities alone are outstanding,\u201d added Crestwood school board member Nanci Romanyshyn. \u201cWhether you win an award or not, this community recognizes you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pisano, the Crestwood chapter president, agreed that the FBLA opened up new opportunities for her future.<\/p>\n
\u201cFBLA seemed like something I would be able to carry with me for the rest of my life,\u201d Pisano said.<\/p>\n
At the end of the ceremony, the team was presented with a state House citation issued by Rep. Alec Ryncavage, R-119, Hanover Twp. The citation, signed by Ryncavage and House Speaker Joanna McClinton, D-191, celebrated the Crestwood FBLA, crediting chapter members for how they \u201cexemplify the organization\u2019s mission.\u201d The state House is also designating the week running from Feb. 8 to Feb. 14 as National FBLA Week.<\/p>\n
\u201cI felt very honored today to be recognized,\u201d said Crestwood senior Thomas Thompson, the chapter parliamentarian. \u201cIt really felt like what we\u2019re doing here matters.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"WRIGHT TWP.\u00a0 \u2014 From Hershey to Harrisburg, fans are marveling at the soaring Comets FBLA team. The Crestwood…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":92047,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[227,182,803,139,28,178,180,179,802,45388],"class_list":["post-92046","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-scranton","tag-education","tag-local-news","tag-luzerne-county","tag-news","tag-pennsylvania","tag-scranton","tag-scranton-headlines","tag-scranton-news","tag-top-stories-cvc","tag-wright-township"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92046","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=92046"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92046\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/92047"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=92046"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=92046"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=92046"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"Crestwood](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/CVC-L-CWFBLA-0118-02.jpg\"\/)
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