LINCOLN — Six students from Kearney High FCCLA recently attended the Nebraska Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) Fall Leadership Workshop.
This annual event was hosted on Tuesday, October 22, 2024, on the University of Nebraska-Kearney campus with nearly 200 student members, chapter advisers, and guests from 20 chapters in attendance from the central Nebraska area. Students attending from the Kearney High chapter were: Kassidy Clark, Madison Mather, Jahlin Parker, Lane Krukemeyer, Jada Byrn, and Catelyn Paulsen.
The event was led by members of the 2024-25 Nebraska FCCLA State Officer Team: Jaiden Ertzner, First Vice President from the Battle Creek chapter; Dawson Conyers, Secretary from the Minden chapter; Audrey Anderson, Vice President of Membership from the St. Paul chapter; and Jordiya Phillips, Vice President of Public Relations from the Medicine Valley chapter.
Attendees were welcomed to campus by Dr. Toni Hill, Chair of the Department of Counseling, School Psychology, and Family Science in the College of Education. Dr. Hill shared about the opportunities available at UNK and how members’ experiences in FCCLA are preparing them for successful careers in many fields related to Family & Consumer Sciences.
The Nebraska FCCLA state theme for this year is ‘Rise Above,’ which encourages resilience, determination, and the courage to surpass obstacles, inspiring members to reach new heights despite adversity. Participants heard about the State Officer Team’s Program of Work and how they can get involved with various opportunities throughout the next year.
State Peer Officer Team members shared about their team outreach projects and opportunities for involvement and recognition this year. SPOT members present at the event included, from the Family Leader Team: Kassidy Clark, Vice Chairperson from Kearney and Giavanna Doyle, Public Relations from Medicine Valley; and from the Career Leader Team: Mynor Bautista, Vice Chairperson from Crete.
Members had the opportunity to attend a variety of breakout sessions hosted by college faculty and FCCLA leaders along with the opportunity to tour the UNK campus. Nebraska FCCLA State Officers hosted sessions on Competitive Event opportunities, developing community service projects with the FCCLA Planning Process, FCCLA leadership opportunities, and developing personal leadership skills. The State Peer Officers shared more information about how members can get involved in peer education initiatives.
Dr. Heather Kennedy, Dr. Tami James Moore, Dr. Jeanne Stolzer, and Dr. Sharon Obasi, UNK faculty from the Counseling, School Psychology, and Family Science Department, and Dr. Bryce Abby, Associate Professor from the Kinesiology and Sport Sciences Department, shared about truly connecting and building relationships within groups, the impact of career choices on lifestyle, the Kearney Community Sustainable Housing project, human development across the lifespan, the serendipity of leadership and service, and nutrition beyond carbs, fats, and proteins.
“This was a great opportunity to meet students from other chapters and learn more about FCCLA.” according to Kearney High officers Jahlin Parker, Kassidy Clark, and Madison Mather
The closing session featured a UNK student panel moderated by Family Science alumni, Korbyn Moldenhauer, School Counseling graduate student, and Emma Arens, Psychology graduate assistant. Two current students in the Family Science undergraduate program shared about their experiences on campus, gave insight on their choice to pursue Family Science, highlighted the multitude of clubs and organizations available on campus, and offered advice on how members can be successful in their postsecondary journey.
About FCCLA
Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) is a dynamic and effective national student organization that helps students become leaders and address important personal, family, work, and societal issues through Family and Consumer Sciences education. With over 244,000 members nationwide and 2,600 members in 100 chapters in Nebraska, FCCLA is 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. Nebraska FCCLA is supported through the Nebraska Center for Student Leadership and Extended Learning at the Nebraska Department of Education. For more information about FCCLA, please visit www.nebraskafccla.org.
