Four Marlboro students and their adviser, AnnMarie Giacoia, attended the FCCLA National Leadership Conference in Denver, Colorado from July 1-7. This student-led conference exposed more than 7,900 students to leadership workshops, college exhibitions, community service opportunities, parliamentary procedures, and keynote speakers.
The conference provided Marlboro FCCLA members with a wealth of incredible opportunities, including attending inspiring speaker sessions, engaging in youth workshops, competing on a national level, and networking with fellow youth leaders. Centered around the theme "incREDible," this conference highlighted how FCCLA offers incredible prospects to its members and advisers through Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) education. By exploring career opportunities and instilling real-world skills, advocacy, and service, FCCLA empowers its members to make an incREDible impact that will guide them throughout their lives.
Isabella Cantone, Samantha Carney, Reese Shuta, and Natalie Terwilliger attended on behalf of the Marlboro High School. Natalie serves New York on the state executive council as Vice President of Public Relations and Membership. Natalie exclaimed, “Nationals was incREDible. I learned so many new things during officer training that I can use during my journey as a state officer, such as tips for social media posts! I made so many new friends from all around the country.”
Sam competed in the Culinary STAR Event receiving a Silver award. Sam exclaimed, “Competing at Nationals has to be one of the most fun and exciting things I’ve done. It has sharpened my skills in the kitchen and has helped me with time management; getting a Silver is just the icing on the cake.” Sam will be attending the Culinary Institute of America in September.
Reese participated as an evaluator of the STAR Event Repurpose and Redesign. “Ending my time in FCCLA at nationals was even better than I could have imagined. I made so many meaningful connections with people from around the country and learned new ways to be a leader in my community.”
Isabella served as a room consultant for the Sustainability Challenge. Izzy says, “It was my first time at Nationals and I was so happy to end my senior year with it. I made new friends, had new adventures in Denver, and became even closer with my chapter. I loved being a room consultant where I got to see presentations about how students all over the country taught their communities to be more sustainable.”
The students had many positive experiences and opportunities while in Denver. Besides attending workshops and sessions, students met members across the country and participated in state-to-state pin trading. New York state members brought home 7 gold, 19 silver, and 2 bronze STAR Event awards as well as a membership increase award.
FCCLA stands for Family Career and Community Leaders of America. It is a national organization with 237,000 members in 5100 chapters in forty-seven states, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. It is a student-run organization with family as its central focus. The Marlboro chapters are open in the Middle School and High School to students in grades 7-12 who have taken a Family and Consumer Science-related course.