The Mason County High School FCCLA placed first and second in the nation in STAR events recently. Pictured are Kortney Poe, Sydney Lilley, Jaclyn Cropper, Emily Greenwell and Kinley Moran.

The Mason County High School FCCLA placed first and second in the nation in STAR events recently. Pictured are Kortney Poe, Sydney Lilley, Jaclyn Cropper, Emily Greenwell and Kinley Moran.

Mason County High School Chapter of Family, Career and Community Leaders of America finished nationals with first and second place wins.

Emily Greenwell, Kortney Poe and Sydney Lilley won first place in the nation for their chapter service project portfolio.

According to Greenwell, their project was based around organ donation.

“We started out with a discount at Pasquale’s as a part of the Donate Life program,” she said. “We had a QR code there to tell about my dad’s story and how to be a donor. Afterward, that poster was moved to CrossPoint Church.”

Greenwell said there was a social media campaign to spread awareness about organ donation and why it is important.

Poe said the Student Organ Donation Advocates organization was born through the project. SODA has been a tool to spread more awareness through the school and community about organ donation.

“Sprinkles of Hope downtown donated a gift card that you could get if you used our link to become an organ donor,” she said. “We raised money for (the Kentucky Organ Donation Association) through t-shirt sales and we had a flag raising about Donate Life Week.”

FCCLA Advisor Shannon Roberts said SODA and the Mason County Circuit Clerk have worked together to spread awareness about organ donation and how people can register when they obtain or renew their license.

“It’s been kind of a partnership,” she said. “There are so many businesses and organizations that have helped these girls. We know there are more people in our area who need organs that don’t know what these girls are doing.”

Greenwell said she and her family are also still trying to find a donor for her father.

“We’re playing the waiting game,” she said. “My parents have been thinking about what else they can do to push out that he needs a kidney. So, they’ve ordered magnets for vehicles to help catch people’s eyes. We’re hoping — that’s our end goal here.”

Lilley said she was proud to be part of the project.

“Not only were we advocating for organ donation, but it was focused around Emily’s dad, so it had a connection with someone in our group,” she said. “We had a purpose for doing this project because someone we cared about needed help. There were people who signed up to be organ donors and even signed up to see if they were a match. I’m very proud of this project.”

She also said she was excited about the win at nationals.

“This was the first time they did a first, second and third place,” she said. “So, it was especially exciting that we placed first in the nation. I almost cried on stage.”

Kinley Moran and Jaclyn Cropper did an event management project involving the junior/senior prom.

“We worked hand-in-hand with Stephanie Martinez, whose art club pretty much does everything for prom,” she said. “We were constantly shooting ideas off each other. It was a team effort. Our ideas mixed with hers and how you incorporate your COVID protocol into it. There was so much you had to think about. It wasn’t easy, but we did it.”

Moran said everything was planned and finished with the prom being on the football field only to find out it had been moved to the Fieldhouse.

“I think overall, now that you see — when you look at our project compared to what prom actually was, they’re so similar because we were basing ideas off each other,” she said. “I think it means a lot more for us because it was in the field house.”

Cropper said she has learned a lot from being a part of FCCLA.

“Doing these STAR events have taught me communication, organization, teamwork,” she said. “I plan to do STAR events again. I’ve really enjoyed it. I think I’d like to do something event management- or food-related.”

Roberts said she was proud of her students.

“There are usually between 8,000 and 10,000 students who compete every year at the national level,” she said. “We were coming back from virtual learning, Emily was quarantined during the process of the STAR events, Kinley had family things going on, the whole group that participated in the community service project was quarantined. It was a mess, and just one thing after another. Everything had to be uploaded to the national site. It was a large thing to tackle. It’s usually crazy right before these events, but it was crazier than ever before this year. I’m really proud of all my students.”

Each of the winning students won college scholarships, according to Roberts.