Our Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) club has yet to disappoint. Over the years, members have dedicated their time to embracing their craftsmanship. 

This summer, our students earned silver and bronze at nationals as they competed against numerous schools in Denver, Colorado. 

Our members showcased their skills, from clothing design to event planning. 

Senior Erin Jones spent her time creating a business plan for not just one but two separate businesses. 

“I created a book store and a coffee shop, and we had to create the business plan and a website to just kind of reflect everything,” Jones said.

Though Jones crafted a website, junior Liz Emery designed a dress. She transferred it from one state to another without bringing it on the plane with her. Fortunately, Emery had family in Denver, so she successfully shipped her project out and received it upon her arrival. 

Emery constructed, measured and presented her dress merely for fun. Though she doesn’t find sewing to be her passion, she’s not done with FCCLA. 

“It’s kind of just that one club I’m going to stick with all four years.”

Another competing member, junior Emerson O’Keefe, spent her time in Denver presenting a project centered around management. 

“We created a daddy-daughter dance for first graders and kindergartners at Jones Dairy Elementary School to bring their fathers and have a fun time dancing,” O’Keefe said. “Then for nationals, I changed the whole thing kind of: it was still a daddy-daughter dance, but it took place in a different time.” 

O’Keefe’s dance was originally a Valentine’s themed dance before being shifted to a spring-themed dance due to the presentation being held in May.

Competing nationally can be a privilege as much as it is a stressor. Our students had to keep a level head while surrounded by all their competition. 

“It’s just comparing yourself to others and second-guessing yourself. Like, going into the competition and seeing others, and all of these other people, and trying not to get worried and psych yourself out,” O’Keefe said. 

Not only have our students left the comfort of their state but the comfort of being at the top. 

“You might have been the best in your state, but now you’re competing against one hundred other people who are also the best,” Jones said. 

Our students returned with good spirits, earning different praises and placements from judges. Emery and Jones earned silver and O’Keefe earned bronze. The judges even returned constructive criticism, making sure this experience was one to grow from. 

Students gained a new perspective from judges and other peers but also themselves, whether it was realizing their passion for certain activities was not as strong or they could have put more effort into their work. 

“I think I could’ve done better with my presentation because I was really nervous, and my notecards were not as organized as I wanted them to be,” O’Keefe said. ”There were just a lot of little things in the project that I think I could’ve fixed.” 

In the end, their trip to Colorado was one to cherish because when they were not competing, they were embracing the new sights. 

“It was awesome; we all love Denver. It was such a big city, and there was so much that you were able to do, so much you were able to rock and go do. It was just–there was so much happening–it was an amazing city,” Jones said.

From visiting the Denver Zoo to the Fourth of July celebrations, our students got to experience a state without their families, but it was worth it.  

“It was fun. It was interesting going somewhere like that without my parents or anything like that. So it was full-on like a school trip to another state, which was really interesting because we spent the Fourth of July out there,” Emery said. “I missed the Fourth of July with my family, but I was in Denver.”