Nashua-Plainfield Chapter celebrating FCCLA Week

LEARNING LEADERSHIP

Nashua-Plainfield Chapter celebrating FCCLA Week

Special to the Press

Members of the Nashua- Plainfield FCCLA Chapter will be celebrating their membership in the national organization of Family, Career and Community Leaders of America, or FCCLA, this week. The chapter currently has 32 active members in junior high and high school. The Nashua-Plainfield chapter has seen great success over the years with a National officer, several state officers, numerous district officers and STAR event participants that have reached the state and national level. It is truly a leadership organization that will help students develop confidence in college and the workplace. FCCLA is a student-led career and technical organization with the family as its central focus. The organization works to develop skills in each member to build personal growth and leadership development through Family and Consumer Sciences education.

Their focus is on the multiple roles that members will encounter as a family member, wage earner and community leader. Members will develop skills by working on character development, creative and critical thinking, interpersonal communication, practical knowledge and career preparation.

Members of the Nashua- Plainfield chapter are active at the local, state and national levels.

Currently, Hailey Schmitz from Plainfield serves as a State officer with the Iowa FCCLA organization. She is Vice President of Records and Finance. Hailey has been a four year member of the Nashua-Plainfield chapter and currently serves as chapter co-president with Mekenna Weiss.

Both young ladies along with senior, Coral Fisher have been National STAR event winners at the national level two years in a row with their STAR events, which are competitive events offered by the organization.

Kaylee Cerwinske, Miranda Crabtree and Nicole Harrington also serve on the State Peer Education team, Public Relations. They are working hard on their three required projects to promote the roles of FCCLA to students and the community.

On Jan. 20, eleven FCCLA members participated in District STAR events. STAR stands for “students taking action for recognition.” Each student individually or as a team gave their presentation to a panel of two judges. Judges critiqued their project and gave recommendations for improvement.

All students were recognized and will be participating in the State STAR event competition to be held Monday, April 3 in Des Moines at the State FCCLA conference. If their project is chosen as one of the top two gold medals in their category they will be on to the national competition this July in San Diego, Calif.

Participants in District STAR Events were: Coral Fisher, Teach and Train, Sr.; Hailey Schmitz and Mekenna Weiss, Interpersonal Communications; Rylee Bonzer and Hannah Geer, Food Innovations, Sr.; Brandi Bailey, Environmental Ambassador, Sr.; Kaylee Cerwinske, Interior Design, Sr.; Ashton Lamborn, Recycle and Redesign, Sr.; Caleb Ulrichs, Nora Sullivan and Ayla Houston, Food Innovations Jr.

All week FCCLA members will be letting students know the benefits of being in FCCLA and what the leadership has to offer them throughout their junior high and high school years. Monday FCCLA members were unable to attend FCCLA Day at the Capitol due to weather. The event allows members to learn more about the legislative process and to meet with legislators sharing their personal experiences being a member of FCCLA and the importance of Career and Technical student organizations.

Friday, Feb. 12, the chapter will host a Valentine’s Dance for the 4th, 5th and 6th grade students at the Intermediate School in Plainfield from 7-8:30 p.m.

Community members and students that want to know more about the organization may contact advisor Julie DeBower at the high school, or email jdebower@nashua-plainfield- k12.ia.us, or State Officer Hailey Schmitz at hailey. schmitz@iafccla.org.

More information about the FCCLA organization can be found at www.iafccla.org (state) or www.fcclainc.org (national).