Back Row: Kylie Madsen, Mrs; Susan Heller (Adviser), Kelsea Nef, Jerica Blanchard, Hailey Feichko, Tiffany Kinder Front Row: Makaela Kinder, Sydney Callahan, Hakayla Snow
Information submitted by Susan Heller
The Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) 2016 National Leadership Conference took place in San Diego on July 2-8. The STAR Events portion (Students Taking Action with Recognition) featured Helper Middle School students Sydnie Callahan, Hakayla Snow, Tiffany Kinder, Jerica Blanchard, Kylie Madsen, Hailey Feichko, Makaela Kinder and Kelsea Nef.
Kinder and Nef, two of the limited sixth grade students from throughout the nation that attended, received a gold medal with a perfect score in the food innovations competition. Kinder, along with Blanchard, also received a gold medal in chapter in review display. Feichko and Madsen received a gold medal in the entrepreneurship category while Snow and Callahan received a gold medal in the chapter in review portfolio category. These awards were presented at a recognition session honoring all participants at the Marriott Marquis Hotel on Thursday, July 8. More than 8,000 members, advisers, alumni and guests from across the nation attended the meeting. Approximately 5,000 students advanced from the local, regional and state level of STAR events to the national meeting.
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.
The students not only competed in STAR Events, but they also explored the National Leadership Conference through presentations, workshops and youth sessions, which included dynamic keynote speakers, workshops and professional development classes.
FCCLA is a dynamic and effective national student organization that helps young men and women become leaders an address important personal, family, work and societal issues through Family and Consumer Sciences education. The organization has involved more then ten million youth since its founding in 1945. The Helper Middle School FCCLA Chapter is very active and is under the direction of Family and Consumer Sciences teacher Susan Heller.