Local Kids Organize, Attend FCCLA State Convention

By MAGGIE MCMURRAY

Moapa Valley Progress

Members of the Moapa Valley High School chapter of Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) traveled to Reno earlier this month to participate in the annual state convention.
This year’s convention was unique being planned and run almost entirely by three members from Moapa Valley.

These three spent the last year serving as officers at the state level. Jurnie Crawford, senior, served as Nevada State FCCLA president; Blakey Anderson, senior, was Executive Vice-President; and Alyson Evans, junior, was Vice-President of Membership. The three served as the entire state officer team, leaving the organization of the state convention solely on their shoulders.

Despite the heavy responsibility, the girls managed to organize a fantastic convention full of workshops, lectures, and competitions. MVHS chapter members took full advantage of the opportunity to go.

Three students in particular made MVHS proud. Past FCCLA state officer Baleigh Bond competed in the job interview competition and won a silver medal. Payson Udall also competed in job interview and also won a silver medal. Grady Call competed in Career Investigations and not only won a silver medal, but also qualified to go to nationals this summer.

Student members Weston Mortensen and Aurora Noble also went to attend workshops and volunteer in various capacities at the event.

Also during the conference, MVHS teacher Lorri Terril was recognized with the Adviser of the Year award. Terril was surprised and humbled to receive this recognition. “It was such a great honor to me to get this award,” Terril said. “Our chapter has worked very hard and I’ve really enjoyed watching these great freshmen and sophomores grow into fantastic and capable juniors and seniors who are great students and great leaders. This award just added to that and was a great honor to end the year on.”
FCCLA is a national organization billing itself as “the only national career and technical student organization with the family as its central focus.” Students in the program study a wide variety of family and consumer sciences in a way that promotes personal growth and leadership development.

Membership in Nevada has increased to approximately 550 members statewide.
It was junior Grady Call’s first time attending the State convention. He was surprised not only at how educational it was, but also by how much fun it was. Call qualified to compete in the national competition to be held this summer in Atlanta, GA, in the Career Investigations event.
“I did in-depth research on a career I was interested ing,” Call said. “I took what I had learned and created an electronic portfolio that I then presented before a panel of judges who asked me questions about it.”

Anderson, who also served as last year’s state president, feels that the time spent organizing the convention was well worth it. “It was a really good experience,” she said. “It was a lot of stress because there were only three of us to do it, but it was worth it in the end.”

This is Anderson’s last year of FCCLA. She said she has learned many things she will take with her as she moves into her next phase of life. “I have learned so much and am grateful I can take all the communication skills I have learned with me. ”
“This year’s convention was a great experience,” Terril concluded. “Our MVHS kids did so well and I am so proud of them and proud to be their adviser. It’s hard to watch your seniors graduate and move on and I’m really going to miss them a lot, but I am very grateful for the opportunity I’ve had to teach them and work with them.”