For the first time since 2019, the FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) National Leadership Conference was an in-person event.  Held in Chicago, Illinois, this conference brought together more than 12,000 members, advisers, and guests, including nearly 600 members of the Pennsylvania delegation.

            Besides informative workshops and exciting campaigns for national offices, students had the opportunity to participate in a competitive events program consisting of more than 70 different business/business-related events.  

            This year 12 students represented Western Wayne High School including Gavin Murphy and Morgan Coccodrilli, Sales Presentation; Lou Azzato and Stevie Wilkinson, Public Service Announcement; Alex Chapman, Kaeli Romanowski, and Jenna Kwiatkowski, Parliamentary Procedure; Rachel Tuman, Entrepreneurship; Adrian Agnello and Weston Nugent, Intro to Business Presentation; and Rhayni Carroll and Emily Romanowski, Intro to Parliamentary Procedure.

            At the Awards of Excellence Program held over two evenings, Western Wayne rising junior Rhayni Carroll captured a seventh-place award in Intro to Parliamentary Procedure.  In addition, Theresa Lubash, local chapter adviser, was recognized as Pennsylvania’s Outstanding Adviser of the Year.

            While in Chicago, the students had the opportunity to see many of the sights including “The Bean” in Millennium Park, the Navy Pier, a boat cruise focusing on the unique architecture of the city and a visit to the top of the John Hancock Building and the Willis Tower to take in the beautiful scenery.

            Accompanying the students were Theresa Lubash, business teacher and FBLA local chapter adviser, and former adviser, Fran Vitovsky.

The supplement to the ’22 WWHS yearbook is available for pickup in the high school office. There is no charge for the supplement as it is built into the cost of the yearbook. Stop by the office to get your copy.

Wildcat Pride was bursting from the stands at Western Wayne’s Sharkey-Rossetti Stadium on the evening of Friday, June 10, for the graduation of the class of 2022.
Senior Alexandria Bien-Aime, president of the class of 2022, gave the welcome address. She encouraged her fellow classmates to not be afraid to fail as they venture into the next step of their journey after Western Wayne.
Later, Alexandria presented the Class Mantel to Evan Peirce, junior class president.
Following the presentation of the mantle, the class salutatorian and valedictorian gave speeches.
Senior Kaeli Romanowski, Lake Ariel, was named the salutatorian of the class of 2022.
Kaeli is the daughter of Joseph and Julie Romanowski.
Along with being an excellent academic student, Kaeli was involved in many Western Wayne clubs, sports, and activities including: Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA), National Honor Society (NHS), National Business Honor Society (NBHS), Student Ambassador Program, Varsity Volleyball, Varsity Basketball, and Varsity Softball. .
Kaeli plans to attend Elizabethtown College where she will continue her basketball career and pursue a degree in finance. She really enjoyed her time at Western Wayne.
Her favorite high school memory is when she broke the record for all-time leading scorer on the girls basketball team and was met on the court by her former teacher Mrs. Box.
Kaeli notes that she learned key time management skills through her demanding athletic and academic schedules in high school.
“Through organizations, such as FBLA, I have developed the essential public speaking skills that are necessary when working in the business world,” Kaeli explained. “In addition, I have developed vital leadership skills and have learned the value of hard work, determination, and teamwork through my experiences in school sports. As I venture to college and eventually the workforce, I will take the lessons and principles learned in the classroom and on the court and apply them to my everyday life. This will give me the opportunity to be successful and an asset to the business world in the future.”
Fellow classmate Rachel Tuman, Lake Ariel, was named valedictorian. Rachel is the daughter of Michael and Ellen Tuman.
Rachel also has done numerous activities both inside and outside of the classroom at Western Wayne. Rachel served as president of the National Honor Society for the 2021-22 school year. She is also the senior class vice president, student council, for this year. In addition, she served as the senior vice-president for FBLA.
“I have learned the importance of time-management and personal organization due to my involvement in a myriad of school and community activities,” Rachel explained. “My experience at Western Wayne has taught me that it is essential to maintain a detailed schedule to truly engage in my present and future commitments.”
In the area of sports, Rachel was the captain of the Western Wayne Girls Varsity Tennis Team from August of 2020 through October of 2021.
In addition, Rachel has contributed many articles and pictures to the school newspaper and yearbook.
She has also won numerous academic and athletic awards during her high school career. Most notably, she was named in April 2022 as the Northeastern Educational Intermediate Unit (NEIU) Student Scholar of Western Wayne High School. In addition, for FBLA Rachel is a National Qualifier in “Entrepreneurship,” 6th Place in PA States, 1st Place in PA Region 22 for the 2021-2022 school year.
“My favorite high school memory is qualifying for the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) Nationals for three consecutive years,” Rachel said. “I am especially excited to travel to Chicago at the end of June for the 2022 National Leadership Conference and compete against students from around the nation in the ‘Entrepreneurship’ event.”
Rachel plans to achieve a Bachelor of Science and a Master’s degree (MBA) in Business Administration with a concentration in Legal Studies at the University of Scranton, enroll into law school, and ultimately achieve her Juris Doctor (J.D) to become an attorney.
Both Kaeli and Rachel gave speeches that had a theme of being grateful for what you have, cherishing your loved ones, and having confidence to face the road ahead.
Then all graduates received their diplomas followed by the presentation of the Class of 2022 to the crowd, and the playing of the school’s alma mater.
The Western Wayne School District wishes all of the graduates the best in their bright futures.

Wayne County students from Honesdale High School and Western Wayne High School participated in the annual county-wide Envirothon competition during the last two weeks in April. The highest scoring team, Bonkers for Honkers of Western Wayne High School, will represent Wayne County in the state-wide Pennsylvania Envirothon event in May. While Wayne County station testing was administered in person at each school this year, PA Envirothon’s state competition will be a hybrid event consisting of a virtual oral component held between May 17th and 20th and field testing held in person at Camp Mount Luther on May 25th.
Envirothon is an educational competition designed to test the knowledge, skills, and problem solving capabilities of high school students regarding our earth’s natural resources. Each year, five-member teams work together to demonstrate their proficiency in subject areas including aquatic ecology, forestry, soils and land use, wildlife, and a current issue, which was “Waste to Resources” this year.
Each year, the Wayne Conservation District seeks financial contributions from local businesses and organizations to support this highly successful youth conservation program. Donations support the purchase of Envirothon T-shirts, educational materials and awards, lunch and snacks, and the registration fee for the winning team to attend the state competition. This year’s event would not be possible without the support of the following sponsors: PA Envirothon, PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Camp Umpy’s Bagels and Stuff, Dirlam Brothers Lumber Company, Dyberry Sand and Gravel, Elegante’s Restaurant and Pizzeria, Himalayan Institute, Honesdale Agway, Jeff George Design and Salvage Company, New Wave Woodworking Inc., Northern Tier Hardwood Association, PA Trappers Association, Professional Forest Industry Association, the Hideout, Wayne Memorial Hospital, and the Wayne Conservation District.
For more information about PA Envirothon visit www.envirothonpa.org or contact your county conservation district.

The Wayne County Arts Alliance held the grand opening of the 2022 Edition of THE GREAT WALL OF HONESDALE on June 4.

2022 marks the 7th edition of The Great Wall of Honesdale, which called for a theme of “Illumination”. The following artists were chosen for the Great Wall, their work was chosen from over 120 entries: Trudessa Batzel, Deirdre Bishop, Jill Carletti, Barbara Carpenito, Sarah Collins (Western Wayne), Sarrah Dibble-Camburn, Erica Hart, Deborah L. Hussung, Lindsay Orlando, Paul Plumadore, Rachel Sebelist, and Sally Talaga. Their original art, which includes collage, digital drawing, hand-woven textile, paper montage, paintings, and photographs, were digitally reproduced on 11 x 17-foot panels of billboard vinyl and mounted on the side wall of Top Notch Industries at the south end of Main Street. The panels will be on display for a full year.

Details about the many area businesses and individuals who have donated to make The Great Wall of Honesdale possible are available on the website www.thegreatwallofhonesdale.com. The Wayne County Arts Alliance wants to thank their Patrons and Sponsors, including the Honesdale Area Jaycees, who have again sponsored a panel specifically for a student artist. Congratulations to our 2022 student artist Sarah Collins, a senior at Western Wayne High School.

Marguerite Fuller and Phyllis Chekenian, the new directors of The Great Wall of Honesdale, would like to thank past directors Paul Plumadore and Jim Tindell for their vision and hard work in making this beloved community project a great success. A special thank you goes to Glenn Khoury with Encore Outdoor Advertising, as well.

The Great Wall of Honesdale is a project of the Wayne County Arts Alliance and supported by local businesses who are credited on the website. It is estimated that 100,000 vehicles per week pass and view The Wall. Also on the website, view images from our previous six editions – 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021.

The Great Wall of Honesdale’s accompanying exhibit “Off the Wall” is free and open to the public, located at The Bodhi Tree Gallery & Studios, 214 6th Street, Suite B in Honesdale, PA. The exhibit opened on June 4. It runs until July 1, 2022. Open gallery hours are Tuesdays 6:30- 8:30 PM, Fridays 5-7 PM, and Saturdays 3-7 PM, or by appointment.