For Immediate Release
Headline: Nebraska FCCLA Members Find Ways to Aspire to Inspire at the 2023 State Leadership Conference
Lincoln, Nebraska – Nearly 1,100 youth members and adult sponsors gathered for the Nebraska Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) State Leadership Conference held April 2-4, 2023 at Pinnacle Bank Arena and the Haymarket area in Lincoln. This conference provided students opportunities to hear from the keynote speaker, participate in breakout sessions, compete in STAR Events, be recognized for their work throughout the year, and elect the 2023-2024 State Officer Team. 26 members from the Twin River FCCLA chapter attended this year’s conference.
Students began their conference leadership journey on Sunday, April 2, with the Opening General Session led by the 2022-2023 State Officer Team. During this time, members also heard from keynote speaker, Melvin Adams, a former Harlem Globetrotter. He retired to follow his dream to challenge individuals to succeed through focus, work and determination. With lots of humor, he did just that by inspiring members to fulfill their dreams by sharing his personal story.
Throughout the day on Monday, April 3, participants had the opportunity to attend four career panels where they heard from professionals in each of the FCCLA Career Pathways: Education & Training, Hospitality & Tourism, Human Services, and Visual Arts & Design. The UNL Engler Entrepreneurship Program also hosted an Entrepreneurship panel with their alumni and students. Nebraska CommonGround also hosted a Consumer Fair where attendees could hear directly from farm women in Nebraska and learn more about where their food comes from. The Opportunity Fair featured 30 colleges, organizations, and businesses for members to connect with. Students also had the opportunity to give back to the Lincoln community through the FCCLA Serves projects. Over 50 students participated in service projects at the Lincoln Children’s Zoo, Lincoln Children’s Museum, and Food Bank of Lincoln. Members also had the opportunity to choose from a variety of tour options such as Hudl, Lied Center, Temple Building, and Memorial Stadium.
Presentation of awards and recognition for involvement is a focal point of the State Leadership Conference each year. Awards were presented during the Recognition Session on Monday evening where recipients were recognized on-stage for their accomplishments. This year, the Twin River Chapter received recognition for our involvement in Gold Chapter Award, Community ServUS Award, Nebraska FACTS National Program Award, Membership Award, and the Red Affiliation Award.
This year, 570 students participated in STAR events at the State Leadership Conference. STAR Events (Students Taking Action with Recognition) recognize members for proficiency and achievement in individual and chapter projects, leadership skills, and career preparation in over 30 national and five state events. Students who were named the State Champion or Runner-Up and earned a Gold or Silver medal also qualified to compete in the national competition in Denver, Colorado in July. Our STAR participants that have qualified for nationals are; Madalyn Moeller and Jaclyn Everett, they are first place state champions in Public Policy Advocate. Clara Priester, she is also a State Champion in Teach and Train. Jalynn Baumann and Lauryn Melcher, they got second place with a gold medal in Chapter Service Project Display. Laynie Allen and Aubree Brandenburger, they also got second place and a gold medal in Entrepreneurship. Annabelle Kleckner and Adalyn Bishop, they got second place in National Programs and Action. Layney Matthes and Molly Connelly got second place in Chapter Service Project Display. Our other STAR participants that qualified for State is Aubrey and Alyvia Strain, they got a 4th place, silver medal in Chapter in Review. Kielyn Dohmen and Bella Ferris, they got a 4th place silver medal in Food Innovations. Lili Trejo got 6th place with a silver medal in Career Investigations. Emma Yrkoski and Parker Zabka got 7th place with a gold medal, in Focus on Children. Karly Konwinski got 4th place with a bronze medal in Sustainability Challenge.
The conference wrapped up on Tuesday, April 4, with the Closing General Session. During this session, a conference in-review video highlighted the exciting moments of the conference. The Battle Creek chapter received the Chapter Spirit Award for their participation, positive attitude, and strong leadership skills throughout the conference. Additionally, the 2022-2023 State Officer Team reflected on their year of service to Nebraska FCCLA prior to the installation of the 2023-2024 State Officer Team. The 2023-2024 State Peer Officer Teams and overall SPOT council were also announced prior to the conference adjourning.
FCCLA is a useful and dynamic national career and technical student organization that aids young men and women in their journey to become leaders and teaches them lifelong skills. It demonstrates the importance of understanding how to address important career, community, family, and societal issues through Family and Consumer Sciences education. Nebraska FCCLA has over 2,800 members in 100 chapters across the state. For more information about FCCLA, please visit www.nebraskafccla.org.
