April 18-21 was a very special week in the lives of five South Effingham High students. April Powell, Hillary Driggers, Jake Terrell, Hershel Anderson and Tamela Wallis attended the state leadership meeting for Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) in Atlanta and came home winners.
Powell and Driggers won a gold medal with their STOP he Violence project in the National Programs in Action STAR Event category. Terrell, Wallis and Anderson won a bronze medal in the Culinary Arts Events STAR Event. These students worked many hours honing their crafts and were among hundreds of competitors, so many in fact that the competition lasted two days this year.
Accompanied by teacher Pam Corbitt and student teacher Crystal Greene, this group took a few hours to tour Zoo Atlanta and eat at Dave and Busters, a grownup’s version of Chucky Cheese. One of the highlights of the conference was keynote speaker Jason Hewlett who used his funny faces and gift of song to wow the crowd for several hours. Each year all the FCCLA chapters in Georgia choose a statewide service project and present that agency with donations at the state conference. This year SEHS donated $100 to the American Cancer Society through this opportunity. Several thousands of dollars were donated from Georgia FCCLA chapters. In addition, a Rock and Roll-a-thon was held on Friday night in which money was donated to the March of Dimes. Students line danced until midnight.
The SEHS chapter of FCCLA won numerous awards at state conference as well. STOP the Violence; State Scholarship Fund Donor, New Horizons Fund Donor, Legislative Connection, Honor Roll, Gold Quest 2007 Platinum Level and the Community Service Award were presented to the group along with a certificate for Basic Training Attendance.
FCCLA is the only national career and technical student organizations with the family as its central focus. Since 1945, FCCLA members have been making a difference in their families, careers and communities by addressing important personal, family, work and societal issues through family and consumer sciences education.
Today over 225,000 members in nearly 7,000 chapters are active in a network of associations in 50 states as well as in he District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
For more information, check out the Web site at www.fcclainc.org.
