Students from the Forest Park High School chapter of Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) recently participated in a leadership conference, winning first place in two categories, Chapter in Review and Chapter Service Project.

Each year, members of FCCLA chapters from Virginia flock to Virginia Beach to attend the FCCLA State Leadership & Recognition Conference. During the conference, students participate in a series of workshops that focus on career exploration, leadership, and implementing effective service projects in their schools and communities. They also participate in a series of competitive events that demonstrate proficiency and achievement in leadership and job-related skills.

“The STAR event encouraged each and every one of us to reflect on what we’ve done in the past,” shared Maya Asad, a member of Forest Park’s FCCLA chapter. “It has taught us that only by looking back on what we’ve done can we truly understand how far we’ve come, how much we’ve grown, and how brightly we can shine in the future.”

Forest Park’s chapter was represented by three competitive teams and several student volunteers who competed for the first time at this event.

“Thanks to the hard work and dedication of the students, the school was able to come away with two state champion teams,” said Susan Gonzalez, FCCLA advisor. Gonzalez expressed that the efforts of chaperones, advisers, judges, and helpers contributed to the chapter’s success as well.