Two PA Cyber students earn state wrestling titles
The Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School is honored to have two state champions in its student body. Scott Clymer, 17, and John Prezzia, 16, took first place in their weight categories at the 2006 PIAA Wrestling Championships.
Both Clymer and Prezzia took to the sport at young ages. But as they got better at wrestling, their parents began to wrestle with this question: How could they make sure their sons received a quality education and still compete in the sport they loved?
The Prezzias, who had always homeschooled their children, encouraged their son John to join a wrestling program through a youth group when he was 10. When he wanted additional training and experience, however, they looked into other programs. At the time, his school district did not allow homeschooled children to participate in its sports programs. After doing some research, however, the Prezzias learned that if their son were enrolled in a cyber charter school, he would have access to his local school's team while still enjoying the benefits of being schooled at home.
The Clymer family's situation was a little different. Two of their nine children had attended public schools for several years, but were then homeschooled. Scott, their oldest, began wrestling as a preteen and entered PA Cyber in tenth grade. And now all the Clymer's children, except their one-year-old, are enrolled at the school.
"Scott has done a great job balancing his academics with his busy schedule," says mother Carol. "The way the school is set up means he can focus intensely on his work and still be able to train and travel for wrestling."
Her son agrees, and adds that taking some of his courses through the virtual classroom helps him stay on schedule. "And I work with Mrs. Karwoski, our Instructional Supervisor, who helps us choose what to take next. She's also good about telling us when we're slacking. I know my family gives her a run for her money — it helps that she has a good sense of humor!"
"John is a unique athlete, He is not at all self-serving, and he has tremendous respect for his coaches, his family, and his opponents. And I have nothing but respect for him." — Fran Komara, Instructional Supervisor
John Prezzia prefers to take all of his courses asynchronously so he can set up his own schedule. While he wrestles in the South Side Beaver district in western Pennsylvania during the school year, he is a member of the All-American Wrestling Club during the summer. He placed in state competition in both seventh and eighth grades, and won the Eastern Nationals and Tournament of Champions in eighth grade. This past season, he won in both freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling at the state level, and defended his first place title in the Tournament of Champions.
Clymer, who wrestles for his local Northwestern Lehigh district in eastern Pennsylvania, had been a two-time district champion and two-time regional champion before taking the state championship this past spring. Following that success, he traveled to Disney World to compete in an all-star competition. His Mid-Atlantic Blue Team placed first among the 24 teams from across the country, and Clymer was named Most Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament.
"I have always loved the individual pressure of competing one-on-one," says Clymer, "and the experiences of these tournaments are privileges and memories I don't ever want to forget."
And Fran Komara, the Instructional Supervisor for the Prezzia family, has become a wrestling fan, attending one of John's matches and staying up late to watch televised coverage of his performance at states. "John is a unique athlete," says Komara." He is not at all self-serving, and he has tremendous respect for his coaches, his family, and his opponents. And I have nothing but respect for him."
Pinning Down the Legalities of School Access
For years, it had been up to individual Pennsylvania school districts to decide what activities, if any, they would offer to students not directly enrolled in their school. Change began in 1997 with the groundbreaking Charter School Law Act #22, and more choices were made available with the passage of the Cyber Charter School Law Act #88 in 2004. At the end of 2005, Governor Ed Rendell signed Senate Bill #361, which mandates equal access to public school activities for children who are homeschooled in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
"The laws are in place, but getting total access can still be tricky stuff," says PA Cyber's Director of Federal Programs, Michael Conti. "But when a child enrolls in PA Cyber, they have actually enrolled in a Pennsylvania public school, and so they really do have all the rights that come with that system.
"A kid who wants to wrestle on their school district's team," he continues, "or write for their newspaper or perform in their musical, that's all part of our relationship with local schools. Those schools are permitted to charge us for a student's participation, whether it's to cover the cost of uniforms or necessary supplies, and that's how it can be done. It helps our students fulfill their physical education requirements, it gives them great experiences, and it helps them stay competitive when it comes to academic and sports scholarships for college."
Michael Conti and his staff work with a federally-funded budget to ensure PA Cyber students get all the benefits provided through public schools, including programs detailed in the No Child Left Behind Act such as tutoring and PSSA preparation. "It's fascinating to watch this school grow and find new ways of supporting the students and their families," says Conti. "There are so many benefits to this approach to schooling. It's an exciting place to be."