Cherokee FCCLA Members Attend Virtual National Leadership Conference
RESTON, VA – Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) held its first-ever
Virtual National Leadership Conference since the organization was founded in 1945. Instead of
gathering in-person and rocking red blazers in the nation’s capital as planned, Cherokee FCCLA students logged on to an online platform on July 7-9, 2020 which blended virtual reality and gamification technology to transform FCCLA’s National Leadership Conference into a dynamic,“on-demand” virtual experience. This year’s historic Virtual NLC was filled with keynote speakers, breakout sessions, leadership trainings, EXPO, Competitive Events, networking opportunities, adviser professional development, and more!
More than 5,400 attendees from across the nation took part in FCCLA’s Virtual NLC. Cherokee FCCLA had six students attend FCCLA’s Virtual NLC. Attending from Cherokee FCCLA were Jadin Hall, Hope Jordan, Taryn Miller, Kylee Weve, Bridget Wilhite, and Madison Wheeler. In addition, Hope Jordan, Jadin Hall, and Kylee Weve competed in FCCLA’s virtual STAR Events. Nearly 3,000 FCCLA members from across the country participated in STAR Events this past June. All STAR Event competitors were recognized for their accomplishments at FCCLA’s Virtual National Leadership Conference.
STAR Events are Competitive Events in which members are recognized for their proficiency and achievement in chapter and individual projects, leadership skills, and career preparation. STAR Events allow student to compete individually or as a team. There are more than 30 STAR Events students can choose to compete in, all which recognize participants who demonstrate their knowledge, skills, and abilities to actively identify an issue concerning families, careers, or communities, research the topic, and develop and implement a project to advocate for positive change.
Both youth and adults work together in managing the events and serving as evaluators of the
participants. STAR Events aim to support student development of knowledge and skills by enhancing the classroom experience and Career Pathway initiatives by equipping students with employable skills and industry insights needed to thrive in the 21st century.
In order to advance to the national level in a STAR Event, members first compete at the region/district and state level. Jordan competed in Career Investigation, Level 1 and was awarded a gold medal and 2nd overall in her STAR Event category at the 2020 Virtual National Leadership Conference. Hall and Weve competed in Chapter Website, Level 3, and were awarded a gold medal and 3rd overall in their STAR Event category.
Bridget Wilhite served as one of Oklahoma’s seven national voting delegates. In her role as a voting delegate, Wilhite helped select the 2020-2021 National Executive Council and voted on a bylaws amendment for the organization.
This year’s conference theme encouraged members to write “Your Story,” as well as reflect back over the past 75 years on how each member’s story has helped write the organization’s
collective story. As the year has progressed and the impact of COVID-19 drastically altered the
planned pages of the stories originally envisioned, FCCLA was excited to be able to offer
members an opportunity to continue to provide students with the Ultimate Leadership
Experience they anxiously anticipate and prepare for all year.
This year’s Virtual National Leadership Conference was a memorable chapter in FCCLA’s story as the organization kicked-off its 75th anniversary celebration and honored FCCLA’s Class of 2020. To learn more about how you can get involve as a student, sponsor, or supporter, contact Heather Gottsch at Cherokee High School.