MEEKER | April 5-7 was an inspiring weekend of competition, recognition and of course making new friends for the Meeker FCCLA (Family, Career and Community Leaders of America) members who attended the 2018 Colorado State Conference in Denver. Members had opportunities to interact with students from around the state and showcase the leadership skills they developed throughout the year. Meeker brought 14 students to this conference and experienced all the conference activities. From state officers hosting us through all the general sessions, advocating for Family and Consumer Sciences with Colorado legislators, to the outside speakers who came to share their leadership tips and hints, students were able to gain valuable leadership skills from this weekend.
Thursday, students experienced the World’s Expo, where they visited interactive exhibits that focused on multiculturalism, traffic safety, teen violence prevention and financial planning and they could speak with colleges and universities about their future plans. The evening included a welcome from Carissa Kirschbaum, 2017-2018 Colorado State President, as well as a great opening session where attendees got to meet the current state officers, state officer candidates, and special guests and discovered important personal lessons from the tall tales we all know and love. Attendees were excited to hear from the keynote speaker, Jessie Funk.
“Her message was life changing, motivational and encouraging. I’m going to start a group to help spread that message,” said Jacob Slone.
On Friday, all the hard work the Meeker chapter put into competitive events paid off on competition day. Students competed in 45 events including leadership, nutrition and wellness, career investigation, job interview, entrepreneurship, illustrated talk, and recycle and redesign.
Awards for their achievements were given Saturday and every Meeker High School competitor received a medal. Three students took first or second place to earn a place to compete at nationals. Looking ahead to the next FCCLA opportunity, winners are able attend the National Leadership Conference in Atlanta, Ga., June 28-July 2. Meeker High School FCCLA is ready to continue its FCCLA journey with the ultimate leadership experience.