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FCCLA Officers Attend Fall Leadership Workshop

By: Jocelyn Donnelly, FCCLA reporter and journalism staff writer on October 21, 2024

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9 students from the Leigh Chapter recently attended the Nebraska Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) Fall Leadership Workshop. 

This annual event was hosted on Monday, October 14, 2024, at Wayne State College with over 400 student members, chapter advisers, and guests from 29 chapters in attendance from the northeast Nebraska area. 

Students attending from the Leigh chapter were the officers, including Ella Higby, Jocelyn Donnelly, Emersyn Urban, Baylee Settje, Brynn Settje, Ella Urban, Izzy Hollatz, Vylet Hollatz, and Liz Hoffman. 

The event was led by members of the 2024-25 Nebraska FCCLA State Officer Team: Lia Montenegro, President from the West Point-Beemer chapter; Brooklyn Eckert, VP of Competitive Events from the Boyd County 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 Dr. Christian Legler, Interim Dean for the School of Education and Behavioral Sciences at Wayne State College, Amy Gade, Director of Admissions, and Dr. Carol Erwin, Family and Consumer Sciences Professor. The UNL partners shared about the opportunities available at WSC 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. 

Members had the opportunity to attend a variety of breakout sessions hosted by FCCLA alumni, community partners, and FCCLA leaders along with the opportunity to tour the WSC campus. 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. FCCLA alumni inspired members to connect their experiences in FCCLA to future careers in related pathways and leverage the opportunities they have in high school to help propel them into the future they want. Katie Gannon, Haven House Outreach Coordinator, discussed the signs, cycles, and youth statistics of Domestic Violence and shared about the important role of Haven House in the community.

            Megan Hillen, the Leigh FCCLA Chapter Advisor, stated “The Chapter Officer Team enjoyed their sessions and the opportunity to explore the campus at Wayne State College. Having the entire officer team able to attend made it a great day for them to work together and improve their leadership skills.”

Ella Urban, the president of the Leigh FCCLA Chapter, stated “It was a great experience for our group of officers that allowed us to learn more about FCCLA and how we can further involve our chapter. We also gained a lot of knowledge about how to increase our leadership in our chapter and in FCCLA overall.”

The closing session featured a Wayne State College student panel moderated by Chelsey Greene, Nebraska FCCLA State Adviser. 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 to students, and offered advice on how members can be successful in their postsecondary journey.