National Champs
By Donnie A. Lucas
Three FCCLA teams advanced to the National Leadership Conference in San Diego at the end of June, with one group taking the top honor in the country and the other two both placing well.
The Level 1 parliamentary procedure team, made up of seven eighth graders, took top honors in the nation.
The Level 2 Digital Stories for change team won second place for their video on mental health among students, and the other Level 2 group of three placed in the top 10 in the nation for a how-to instructional video on car maintenance and safety.
“It was such a great experience,” FCCLA sponsor Jennifer Marshall said. “The students all presented themselves in a very professional manner and performed so well.”
The parliamentary procedure group had to conduct a meeting with a provided agenda and answer questions from the judges. The group also won first at the state level to qualify to advance to the national conference.
“The kids competed very well, even giving up some of their free time to practice before the contest,” Marshall said. “It was the first time we were able to practice with all seven as a team since school ended.”
She added that the team of eighth graders received many compliments on the way they appeared and performed.
Next year the group will move up to Level 2, which is for freshmen and sophomores.
The members of the parliamentary team included Mimi Ivy, Caroline Chapman, Tristan Howe, Lane Helle, Madison Parrott, Woods Peterson, and Braylee Clark.
Both Level 2 video presentations qualified by participating in online contests, with just 15 presentations advancing straight to the national conference.
Sophomores Luke Marshall and Houston Heatly won second place at the national convention with a Digital Story for Change entry about mental health among students.
The entry was shown during the convention after being submitted to the judges.
The other video team of Zane Waggoner, Cole Read, and Lanxton Viertel made the top 10 with their presentation on the importance of vehicle maintenance and safety.
“We know that they finished in the top 10, but they haven’t given us their exact placement yet,” Marshall said. “They got to present on stage at the convention, so we know they made the top 10.”
She added that the top three places were announced at the convention, but she is waiting on final results to be sent to her.
She explained that the two video teams opted for the online competition due to conflicts in the spring that would have kept them from competing at the regional and state conferences.
Marshall said that both videos are available on the FCCLA website, which has a link on the Albany High School web page.
“We couldn’t have gone to the national conference without the support of the community,” she said. “This was our first year, and I am so thankful that the community stepped up to provide the funding. Otherwise, I would have been running fundraisers all year, which would have cut my time to work with students.”
Marshall added that she is planning to conduct some meal fundraisers in the fall in preparation for the next year’s competitions.
Over $30,000 was raised from the community to fund the trip, which also included trips to the beach, the San Diego Zoo, and Seaworld.
“There were activities planned by the Texas delegation that allowed the kids to get to know each other,” she said. “Making those connections will also help us in the future.”
