Using a fog machine, a foam mountain, plants, a grill, a canopy, sand and the Ecuadorian flag, the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) International Experience group crafted its display at the State Competition last year, which was the pilot year of the event.
According to FCCLA adviser Kathy Mitchem, FCCLA is a national “dynamic organization” that helps young men and women become better leaders in their families, careers and communities. Members have the opportunity to demonstrate leadership skills by participating in community service and educational projects.
“International Experience is a team event,” said senior Taylor Heyman. “You choose a country, which you have to research [everything about that country]. You then have to build a display about the country.”
There are 48 Student Taking Action for Recognition (STAR) events in which students compete at the national level and 30 Proficiency Events at the state level. This year, Nutrition of Wellness, Applied Math for Culinary Management, Sports and Nutrition and Speak Out for FCCLA were added to the program.
“Our kids and our school were invited to become [part of] a pilot for [International Experience,]” said FCCLA Advisor Kathy Mitchem. “[International Experience] hasn’t been sanctioned yet. They are doing one more [pilot] year and after this year it will become an actual…[STAR] event.”
The International Experience group is currently gearing up for the sectional competition on Feb. 14, which will be its first competition of the year. According to Mitchem, the members are in the process of making their project competition ready.
According to Heyman, the International Experience group plans to be done with its project by Feb. 1. This year the International Experience group members are Heyman, and seniors Emily Koss, Natalie Papazian, Shawn Killian and Mike Shin.
“[Making your project ready for competition] is a lot of work, but it is totally worth it,” said Koss. “Last year, there were a couple of days where we spent the whole day working on our portfolio, researching and figuring out how we wanted to word something.”
According to Mitchem, last year, the International Experience group placed first at the state competition, which qualified the group to showcase its project in “Spotlight on Projects” at the National Leadership Conference competition.
“At the end of the state competition during the…question [portion of the competition], [the judges] asked us what an interesting part of the Ecuadorian culture was and we all froze, [because we were] unprepared for that question,” said Heyman. “[Papazian] ended up talking about how they find pointing rude.”
The International Experience group contributed four of nine total delegates that went to the National Leadership Competition conference from July 7 to July 11, 2013. However, the International Experience group did not compete. Instead it showcased its display to other FCCLA advisors in an effort to bring awareness to the International Experience event. The other five FCCLA national competitors earned silver medals.
“Last year we worked really hard to make it to nationals, so we spent a lot of time on [our project,]” said Koss. “We are definitely willing to do the same thing again this year.”