The FCCLA State Leadership Conference, held April 14–16, was a huge success for Umatilla High School students, with several earning top scores and qualifying for the National Leadership Conference this summer!
FCCLA, or Family, Career and Community Leaders of America, is a national career and technical student organization for students in Family and Consumer Sciences education. Through competitive events, leadership training, and community service, students gain valuable real-world skills in areas like career readiness, communication, teamwork, and public speaking.
Umatilla Students competed in a wide range of categories, presenting projects they had spent several weeks preparing. One group created a superfood drink targeted for K-12 students and tested it at the elementary, middle and high school levels. Another student led a community garden project focused on child development and presented her research and impact. Competitors in the Job Interview event assembled portfolios complete with resumes and letters of recommendations before participating in a mock interview at the conference. A team competing in interpersonal communications developed a presentation for health classes about identifying and addressing toxic relationships.
We’re proud to announce the following students will be representing Umatilla at Nationals:
Ethan Robertson – Job Interview: Gold Score – Advancing to Nationals
Patricia Oseguera & Daniela Lopez – Food Innovations: Silver Score – Advancing to Nationals
Cindy Oseguera – Job Interview: Silver Score – Advancing to Nationals
Joanna Gallegos – Focus on Children: Silver Score – Advancing to Nationals
Alex Enkey & Sara Hill – Interpersonal Communications: Silver Score – Advancing to Nationals
Other Umatilla competitors also did an excellent job at state:
Yaretzi Solis – Food Innovations: Bronze Score
Miley Carrasco & Kora Dominguez – Repurpose & Redesign: Bronze Score
Lorelai Tesch – Interior Design: Bronze Score
Noe Gonzalez – Job Interview: Bronze Score
Competing at the state level took a lot of preparation, and students were thrilled to see their efforts recognized.
“It was a lot of time and work,” said Junior Daniella Lopez, who competed in Food Innovations. “It was really exciting for all our hard work to pay off and get to go to nationals. At Nationals, I’m looking forward to getting to meet new people from different states.”
A big thank you to our amazing volunteers, Mrs. Funderburk (Volunteer Judge), Mrs. Fritz (Volunteer Judge), Owen W. (Student Volunteer), and Darlyne M.M. (Student Volunteer) who helped make competition day run smoothly!