VHS FCCLA Qualifies For Nationals

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Vidalia High School Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) members recently attended the State Leadership Conference, where two groups of students qualified for competition at the National FCCLA Conference.

Braylie Davis and Noah Varn placed second overall at the conference for their 'Tis the Season to Celebrate Our Differences' event, which was held at the Pal Theatre on December 18. This event was created to bridge the gap between children with special needs and their peers by providing a safe, fun, and inclusive activity for the whole family. The event showcased a special showing of The Grinch, along with special treats, and raised $1,500 for Toombs County Special Olympics.

Hillaree Hankerson, Sanaya Lewis, and Rori Johnson took home First Place for their Public Policy Advocate Project, which strived to inform the local community about the issues African Americans face regarding hair discrimination and to raise awareness about the importance of passing the CROWN Act into legislation.

In addition to this success, the Vidalia High School FCCLA members also walked away with an additional 2 medals and a Top 10 State Finish in every event in which they competed. These finishes included: Georgia Meredith’s 3rd Place honors for her Nutrition and Wellness Project, in which she tracked her family's nutrition for a month and created detailed meal plans and wellness goals to help them achieve optimal nutrition Kingston Ryals’s 3rd Place award for an Online Proficiency Test in Parliamentary Procedures Keylyn Mathews and Jaden Morris’s 5th Place honors for their Repurpose and Redesign project, in which they created a toy for children with special needs by repurposing mismatched socks that would otherwise be thrown away. Also, during the conference, Cristal Franklin served as the school’s FCCLA Region 9 officer, as she represented the area. 'She spearheaded exciting initiatives and forged connections with FCCLA in the region and across the state of Georgia,” Vidalia High School FCCLA Sponsor Amanda Mosley remarked.

Mosley continued, as she spoke on the success of the group. “These students were determined to shine,' she emphasized. Each student put in tremendous effort to complete their projects. Their creativity and determination continue to amaze me! I can't wait for them to represent VHS at the National competition this summer in Seattle!'