THURSDAY, May 4, 2023
ALTOONA-MIDWAY HIGH SCHOOL
Earn Several Awards at State
ALTOONA-MIDWAY WILL SEND FIVE TO FCCLA NATIONAL CONFERENCE
WICHITA – Representatives of Altoona-Midway High School’s FCCLA organization put the school’s name in bright lights here recently, bringing home several school and individual awards from the 2023 FCCLA State Leadership Conference.
The AMHS FCCLA (Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America) contingent won the Community Service Award, the Rush Week Award, and took first place for the Student Body National Program project.
The Altoona-Midway group received a $100 prize for the Rush Week honor, and received a plaque for the national program project.
Several AMHS members competed in Leadership Educational Opportunities and earned ribbons. They included: Red Ribbons for First Place – Ashlynn Sicka (with a score of 100 out of 100); Jase Stacy (99/100); Caden Crawford and Kaylene Dorsey (97/100).
Blake Nalley also earned a White Ribbon for second place (88/100).
“All of them did an amazing job,” noted Cathy Caylor, FCCLA adviser and Family and Consumer Sciences teacher at Altoona-Midway. “Several of our students also competed in STAR (Students Taking Action With Recognition) events, which require a lot of work and time, plus a presentation in front of a team of judges.”
Through the STAR competition at the State Leadership Conference, Altoona-Midway qualified four additional students for the FCCLA National Leadership Conference this summer.
Kaylene Dorsey competed in the Leadership event and received a silver medal, taking second place in her event and qualifying for nationals.
Peyton Drake, Ashlynn Sicka, and Hadlee Pupanek competed in Promote and Publicize FCCLA. The group dressed as Wizard of Oz characters received a gold medal, placing first in their event with a score of 98 out of 100, which also qualified them to compete at the National Leadership Conference.
“That is the highest score that AMHS has received in STAR events,” Caylor noted. These students are amazing leaders and represented Altoona-Midway proudly.”
That brings the AMHS representation at nationals to five students, as Blake Nalley had previously qualified in March to compete on the national stage after receiving a gold medal for FCCLA Chapter Website.
"You hear the same schools over and over being called for a gold, national qualifier every year it cannot be that exciting, but when you have a student that makes gold and is a natural qualifier it is extremely exciting,” Caylor said. “We yelled for each other, and then we all cried. This is very exciting, having five students competing at the National Leadership Conference."
The Altoona-Midway contingent will be attending the FCCLA National Leadership Conference from June 30-July 7 in Denver, Colorado.
"The students performed way beyond my expectations, and I am very proud of each one of them," Caylor added.
FCCLA (formerly known as Future Homemakers of America) is a nonprofit national career and technical student organization for young men and women in Family and Consumer Sciences education in public and private school through grades 6–12.
Since 1945, the goal of FCCLA members has been to make a difference in their families, careers, and communities by addressing personal, work, and societal issues through Family and Consumer Sciences education.