Local FHA-HERO students win at National Leadership Conference
|
Michelle Baker
Special to the Sun
Anaheim, CA. – Kern Valley High FHA-HERO participated in STAR Events (Students Taking Action with Recognition) at Family, Career and Community Leaders of America’s (FCCLA) 2011 National Leadership Conference.
KV FHA-HERO participated in 4 of the 28 national STAR Events available to FCCLA students. Medals were presented at a recognition session at the Anaheim Convention Center on Thursday, July 14. More than 6,300 members, advisers, alumni, and guests from across the nation attended the meeting. Approximately 3,500 students advanced from the regional and state level of STAR Events to the national meeting.
Recent KV graduate Jessica Gutzman won a Gold Metal in Interior Design. This event required her to apply interior design skills to designing interiors that meet the living space needs of clients. After winning at nationals Jessica exclaimed “I learned that a lot of hard work will eventually pay off”. Gutzman won a $24,000 scholarship to FIDM in Los Angeles at the FHA-HERO State Meeting in April.
Karly Cataldo and Brooke Meadows won Silver Metals for their Chapter Showcase Display. The display had pictures and descriptions of the KV chapter’s program of work, which includes leadership activities, community involvement and career development.
From the project Meadows stated that she learned the purposes of FCCLA and the ways to apply them to the family, home and community, as well as, future careers. She also met students from all over the world. “Being a part of FCCLA for a week taught me how to be a leader and positively changed my perception of myself and others.”
Brooke Maxwell and David Morales won Silver Metals for their Chapter Showcase Manual. The team created a scrapbook about how the chapter developed and implemented their well-balanced program of work, which included leadership activities, community service, career development, and campus tours of Fresno State and Bakersfield College.
Teammates Amanda Moreno, Victor Taracevicz, Nick Solis and Edgar Tapia won Bronze Metals in Parliamentary Procedure. This team event recognizes chapters that develop a working knowledge of parliamentary law and the ability to conduct a business meeting based on Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised. Taracevicz stated that he improved both his teamwork and networking skills.
Abbey Stanton also attended the conference as the State FHA-HERO Vice President and California’s National Officer Candidate. Stanton declared “At Nationals I learned about the various leadership opportunities that FCCLA has to offer such as competing in STAR events and running for office”. She was also the only California student to received the FCCLA Dynamic Leadership award.
The students also attended educational workshops on topics such as “Above the Influence”, vampire romance is not reality, Cultural Clashes, and Cranes of Hope for Japan wishes . Students left inspired to be more involved in the community.
Moreno declared “Nationals was an amazing experience. It gave me the opportunity to meet students from across the country. I learned how to be a better leader. I look forward to attending next year”.
The students and their advisor, Michelle Baker, would like to thank all the individuals and businesses that helped the students raise most of the $6,000 cost to attend the national conference. Tony Bohn allowed a BBQ in the Care Medical Ambulance Kernville parking lot. Von’s manager Ann Agulair permitted numerous cupcake sales. The Exchange Club and South Fork Womens’ Club gave donations. Every dollar raised truly assisted the students attending this national leadership event.
Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA), is a national student organization that helps teens become leaders and address important personal, family, work, and societal issues through Home Economic Career and Technology education. FCCLA has over 190,000 members and over 6,500 chapters from 50 state associations, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. The organization has involved more than ten million youth since its founding in 1945.
