Lincoln - 6 students from David City FCCLA recently attended the Nebraska Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) Fall Leadership Workshop. This annual event was hosted on Wednesday, September 25, 2024, on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln East Campus with over 200 student members, chapter advisers, and guests from 19 chapters in attendance from the southeast Nebraska area. Students attending from David City FCCLA were: Elllie Bales, Abby Lindsley, Catlyn Kratochvil, Neil Olson, Jacob Lange, and Hannah Scriber.
The event was led by members of the 2024-25 Nebraska FCCLA State Officer Team: Lia Montenegro, President from the West Point-Beemer chapter; Jaiden Ertzner, First Vice President from the Battle Creek chapter; Ashley Caballero-Lazaro, VP of Development from the Neligh-Oakdale chapter; and Ashleigh George, VP of Programs from the Elkhorn North chapter. Attendees were welcomed to campus by Dijon DeLaPorte, Ed.D, Director of Recruitment for the UNL College of Education & Human Sciences (CEHS), Dr. Lisa Franzen-Castle, Interim Associate Dean of CEHS, and Dr. Dawn Lindsley and Dr. Sheree Moser, professors in the Department of Child, Youth, & Family Studies. The UNL partners shared about the opportunities available at UNL and how members’ experiences in FCCLA are preparing them for successful careers in many fields related to Family & Consumer Sciences.
The Nebraska FCCLA state theme for this year is ‘Rise Above,’ which encourages resilience, determination, and the courage to surpass obstacles, inspiring members to reach new heights despite adversity. Participants heard about the State Officer Team’s Program of Work and how they can get involved with various opportunities throughout the next year. State Peer Officer Team members shared about their team outreach projects and opportunities for involvement and recognition this year. SPOT members present at the event included, from the Community Leader Team: Sawyer Brudigam, Chairperson & Overall SPOT Council Chair from Wakefield; Natalie Nelson, Vice Chairperson from Nebraska City; Ellie Bales, Public Relations; from the Career Leader Team: Carter Herrington, Chairperson & Overall SPOT Council Vice Chairperson from Palmyra; Mynor Bautista, Vice Chairperson from Crete; and from the Family Leader Team: Mayte Flores Garcia, Chairperson & Overall SPOT Council Secretary from Wakefield.
Members had the opportunity to attend a variety of breakout sessions hosted by college faculty and FCCLA leaders along with the opportunity to go on a tour of UNL East Campus and tour the Ruth Staples Child Development Center. Nebraska FCCLA State Officers hosted sessions on Competitive Event opportunities, developing community service projects with the FCCLA Planning Process, FCCLA leadership opportunities, and developing personal leadership skills. The State Peer Officers shared more information about how members can get involved in peer education initiatives. UNL CEHS faculty from multiple departments shared about career paths and college opportunities in Textiles, Merchandising, & Fashion Design, Nutrition & Health Science, Hospitality & Tourism, Human Development & Family Science, and Family & Consumer Sciences Education.
When asked about the sessions, Catlyn Kratochvil said “I had fun learning about ways to better our chapter.”
The closing session featured a UNL student panel moderated by Dr. Dawn Lindsley. College students shared about their experiences on campus, gave insight on the differences between high school and college, highlighted the multitude of clubs and organizations available, and offered advice on how members can be successful in their postsecondary journey. Members of the student panel were: Brandon Caha, Family & Consumer Sciences Education Graduate program, 2017-18 Nebraska FCCLA State Officer; Alexis Cherry, Family & Consumer Sciences Education, 2019-20 Nebraska FCCLA State Officer; Milli Ciprian, Women’s & Gender Studies, 2021-22 Nebraska FCCLA State Officer; Mee-Mee Jackson, Textiles, Merchandising, & Fashion Design; Leonardo Luna-Duran, Business & Law, 2022-23 Nebraska FCCLA State Officer, 2023-24 National FCCLA Officer.
About FCCLA
Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) is a dynamic and effective national student organization that helps students become leaders and address important personal, family, work, and societal issues through Family and Consumer Sciences education. With over 244,000 members nationwide and 2,600 members in 100 chapters in Nebraska, FCCLA is the only career and technical in-school student organization with a central focus on careers that support families. Participation in national FCCLA programs and chapter activities helps members become strong leaders in their families, careers, and communities. Nebraska FCCLA is supported through the Nebraska Center for Student Leadership and Extended Learning at the Nebraska Department of Education. For more information about FCCLA, please visit www.nebraskafccla.org