Fashion and clothing design students were honored for their participation in a national leadership conference.
By Melissa Riker
The Sun
Ten students from Shawnee High School were recognized at last week’s Lenape Regional High School District meeting.
Students of the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America organization, a national career and technical students organization that provides personal growth, leadership development and career preparation opportunities for students studying family and consumer science, were honored for their participation in a recent competition.
Ashley Gerber’s fashion and clothing design students were involved in the national leadership conference held in Atlanta, Ga., where they competed individually and in groups in categories such as recycle and redesign, food innovations, entrepreneurship, life event planning and illustrated talk.
Gerber took the podium to present certificates to Emma Adams, Jordan Benstead, Morgan Broderick, Sarah Drexel, Meghan Harms, Alexa McClane, Grace McKinley, Paige Trzaskawka and Carrington Windl for earning gold medals and Claire Hauser for earning a silver medal.
Shawnee established its FCCLA chapter in 2008 and has since participated in community service events, fundraising events and competitions. Over the course of the past few years, Shawnee students have travelled to the national leadership conferences held in different locations annually.
Gerber is a 2007 graduate of Shawnee High School, when FCCLA was not in place, however she went on to study fashion design in college, and returned to the district through the alternate route program, where she took over after the previous family and consumer science teacher retired.
She said she knew immediately she wanted to be the advisor for FCCLA and she has loved every moment of it.
“My kids are amazing, I am so proud of them,” Gerber said. “It’s a really great organization. It gives them an opportunity to compete in many events, but it’s the public speaking, the leadership qualities, the community service, the fundraising.”
Gerber said students are provided with an opportunity most others aren’t at their age, and there are hopes to travel to Anaheim, Calif., to compete in this year’s national conference.
Windl has been a part of FCCLA for the past four years and said she was a quiet student her freshman year before the competitions brought her out of her shell.
Sophomore year she was in charge of the organization’s public relations, and junior and senior year she was named president of FCCLA.
She spoke to the board saying, “I just wanted to say thank you for this program because it’s turned me into the person I am.”
In other news:
- Director of Media and Communications John Donaldson hosted a presentation about the programs his department develops, including LDTV, the LRHSD app, drones, new staff orientation videos and more.
- The next LRHSD board meeting will be held on Dec. 19 at 7:30 p.m. at the Lenape District Administration Building.week’s Lenape Regional High School District meeting.
