High school family and consumer science teacher and family, career, and community leaders of America sponsor Brittany Mardis took six students to Seattle, Washington, last week to compete at the FCCLA national convention. She brought back six national winners.
Members Brianna Walker, Hayden Peak, and Zoey Hodge earned silver with their “Let Kids Be Kids” foster care bag project, while Laycee Lynn, Marley Phelps, and Keira Chaney earned gold with their “A Very Merry Little Family Christmas” chapter service project. Additionally, the group placed as a top 10 national finalist. While there, Walker served as a state officer and led Kentucky as a voting delegate.
Mardis said the stellar rankings are a testament to the time and dedication the students poured into their work all year. “I’m so incredibly proud of them,” she said. “They’ve worked so hard since fall of last year to serve our school and community, and it’s so gratifying to see them receive the recognition they deserve.”
Lynn, a 2024 Crittenden County High School graduate and past president of her chapter said the honors are in large part to the support the members received from their school and community. “Thanks to our sponsors, a small school in rural Kentucky made it to nationals and placed in the top ten!” she exclaimed. “We were also able to make a difference in our community and give back to the people in our hometown who have poured into us.”
Mardis said community and family are guiding forces in FCCLA. In fact, she said that more than once during the trip, people with whom they interacted commented on the positive dynamics of the group. One memorable experience, Mardis said, was of an UBER driver who called the Crittenden group of students and chaperones as the “happiest family I have ever seen.”
“That right there is a perfect example of what FCCLA is, and what we do,” said Mardis. “FCCLA is a family of students who love their community and will impact the lives of others around them.”
High school students wishing to learn more about the family and consumer science pathway and opportunities in FCCLA may contact Mardis at [email protected].