As the 2024-2025 school year begins, new opportunities for students’ involvement appear. One of these opportunities, FCCLA (Future Career and Community Leaders of America). FCCLA, also known as “the ultimate leadership experience,” presents many opportunities for students to join a new community and learn new beneficial skills such as personal growth, leadership, and community engagement.
FCCLA began at Sierra Vista High School during the 2023-2024 school year. However, during the first year as an official club within Sierra Vista, only certain students with an invitation from the FCCLA advisor, Dylan Hinkle, were allowed to participate. This year, using the experience gained from the select group last year, students can expect “not only a club, but a community”, says Kiara Peters (12), the Vice President of National Programs. President of FCCLA, Aspyn Schmidt (12), shares, “students can expect a friendly and open environment. We mostly strive to work as a team in order to help others and our community.” Hinkle adds, “… the club is only open to students that have taken family and consumer sciences courses. We are kind of a small close-knit type of family and I think that’s beneficial for students because they feel like they know somebody and they can actually be something in this club.”
Beyond a positive and uplifting community, FCCLA proposes a unique opportunity for students to focus on topics specifically relating to family and consumer sciences (FCS) as well as becoming the best leaders possible before leaving high school and entering higher up education amongst other opportunities. Schmidt explains, “what separates us from other clubs is the fact that our club is only open to those who have taken or are taking an FCS class. What this does is allow us to focus on these specific topics in order to create more growth for the members in our club for their specific FCS related goals.” Hinkle further discloses, “FCS is a people centered science and we have a very heavy focus on individuals and families and I don’t think that’s what you get from other clubs… it’s about developing students as leaders.. So obviously the student officers and leaders within their own circles but I’m really hoping to develop the board and students as leaders.”
Because of FCCLA’s unique ability to focus only on family and consumer sciences, many plans for the club are already in development. Hinkle shares an overview of these plans, “I know this is cheesy but you should first off expect to have a lot of fun and second off expect to do some community service and prepare to go to our state competition…” Peters elaborates on these plans, “So far this year, FCCLA has a planned fundraiser with Panda Express coming up on September 12th, a competition in Reno during the Spring, and many more activities.” Through these events, fccla plans to involve Sierra Vista High School’s feeder schools including schools such as Canarelli, Tanaka, Gunderson, and Faiss in order to involve future students and raise money for the club.
Future Career and Community Leaders of America provides many opportunities for students to grow and flourish as family and consumer science students and leaders within their school. Peters reveals all that she has learned from only one year in FCCLA, “FCCLA has taught me people skills, time management, and the difference that even a small effort can make in the community.” The club’s first official meeting will occur after school September 10, 2024 where new students will join a community full of learning and possibility.
