Local Students Do Well At FCCLA Event

Several Trenton Middle School and High School students recently competed at the 2017 National Leadership Conference for the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America, held in Nashville, TN, with all of the students returning home with gold medals.
More than 7,500 FCCLA members, advisers, alumni, and guests from across the country gathered for the conference, which provided TMS and THS FCCLA members with the opportunity to attend leadership and program training, hear national speakers, meet the National Executive Council, explore colleges and careers, and impact a city with the unlimited possibilities of FCCLA.
Trenton students Evy McCullough, Lexi Gott, Grace Kennebeck, Mykah Hurley, Sarah Jordan, Jake McNabb and Bailee McAtee were among the members attending and taking part in STAR (Students Taking Action With Recognition) Event competitions at the conference.
FCCLA’s STAR Events are based on the belief that every student is a winner. Competition, evaluation, and recognition all stress cooperation as the basis of success. Both youth and adults work together to manage the events and serve as evaluators of the participants. Throughout the year, FCCLA members tackle issues such as teen violence prevention, traffic safety, family issues, career exploration, and much more. FCCLA programs and competitions enrich student learning, improve self-esteem, and serve students with a range of ability levels, economic situations, and cultural influences.
At the middle and high school level, the Trenton R-9 FCCLA members feel that competing in Star Events not only benefits the community in the many community service activities that they are involved in but it also teaches service learning, public speaking and builds leaders for our community.
FCCLA offers over 30 STAR Events. These events, which include Early Childhood Education, Job Interview, and Sports Nutrition, among others, represent college and career readiness skills taught in Family and Consumer Sciences classroom. Members compete at the district, state and national level. This year, Trenton R-9 was represented among over 4,200 STAR Event participants who competed in Nashville. Evy McCullough, Grace Kennebeck and Lexi Gott earned gold medals, competing in the Chapter Service Project Portfolio, with their project focusing on the importance of water in our life. Jake McNabb and Bailee McAtee competed in Interpersonal Communica-tion, with a project focusing on being kind to others.They also earned gold medals, as did Mykah Hurley and Sarah Jordan, who competed in Food Innovations. Their project focused on making a healthy snack using more protein.
Suzi Beck is the TMS advisor, while Margaret Mollenhour is the THS advisor.
FCCLA is a dynamic and effective career and technical student organization that helps young men and women become leaders and address important personal, family, work, and societal issues through Family and Consumer Sciences education. FCCLA has more than 164,000 members and more than 5,300 chapters from 49 state associations, in addition to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
FCCLA is unique among youth organizations because its programs are planned and run by members, and it’s the only career and technical in-school student organization with a central focus on careers that support families. Participation in national FCCLA programs and chapter activities helps members become strong leaders in their families, careers, and communities.