17 MCMS students attended FCCLA National Fall Conference
There were 17 students from Mason County Middle School who journeyed to Birmingham, Ala. on Nov. 10-12 to attend the FCCLA National Fall Conference.
The FCCLA National Fall Conference is considered an enriching experience that helps inspire student leadership.
Over 1,400 members, advisers, and supporters from all over the nation came together to present student members with advice on personal development, career exploration, and community service.
Several keynote speakers were in attendance such as Monti Washington, Joshua Evans, and Brent Camalich.
Students competed in career-focused skill demonstration events which showed off their preparedness for family and consumer science-related careers. Several students also competed virtually in various subjects; personal finance, consumer responsibilities, technology and health and safety.
The conference does not only offer competition opportunities. Attendees also participated in youth leadership workshops. The group screened the film, ‘One Small Visit’, which is a short film detailing the true story of an immigrant family from India who unexpectedly passed through the Midwest hometown of astronaut Neil Armstrong. The film takes place amidst the 1969 moon landing.
Upon completion of the screening, the audience was encouraged to engage in a panel discussion with the film’s writer and producers.
FCCLA advisors were then allowed to bring the film back to their schools along with the panel discussion and a comprehensive lesson plan. The film and its byproducts will be used as tools to help nurture a sense of community and it is hoped it will inspire students to share their own stories in the future.
The annual theme for the FCCLA National Fall Conference was, “The Ultimate Journey.” The attendees shared how to utilize the skills, experiences, and knowledge gained through FCCLA to make a difference in their families, careers and communities.
Several MCMS students were able to compete in several rounds of play in the knowledge bowl competition. These students were Haven Thornton, Ellen Clarke, Madison Stanfield, Olivia Jackson and Lexi Gibson.
Several participating students also completed some online challenge tests in various categories. The following students placed top three in the nation in their categories:
Haven Thornton, Consumer Math Challenge, 1st place
Arianna Maina, Consumer Math Challenge, 2nd place
Olivia Jackson, Nutrition Challenge, 2nd place
Maddie Stanfield, Science in FCS, 2nd place
