FCCLA Attends Peer Education Conference
The Plainview FCCLA Chapter joined 322 students and advisers from 44 chapters who attended the State Peer Education Conference held in Kearney, NE on February 26, 2024. Attending from Plainview were Shayla Jacobsen, Ashlyn Forbes, Callie Taylor, Kiley Richter, Dakotah Albin, Jameson Dobler, and Adviser Ronita Jacobsen. The theme of the meeting was “Leave Your Mark.” The National Program focuses for the State Peer Officer Teams this year are Families First, Financial Fitness, and Student Body.
After the opening session, keynote speaker Casey Molifua, an instructor in Exercise Science at Hasting College shared what the meaning of “Leave Your Mark” meant to him and how to carry it out in everyday life. His message spoke on 3 points: Take Care of Yourself, Knowledge Minus Action Equals Nothing, and Opportunity is in the Obstacles. Throughout his message, students were writing goals for themselves, writing positive self-talk statements, and creating ways to overcome obstacles. Key statements of his were “Adversity is bound to happen-embrace it!”, “You either win or you LEARN!, “Self-discovery is the catalyst to self-improvement”, and “Change your perspective—the same wind that blows out the candle , fuels the fire!”. Shayla Jacobsen said, “His statement of “If you know how to fix a problem but don’t apply the actions there will be no result.” really stood out to me. I agree with his statements that “It’s the start that stops most people. And, fear and laziness are the two things that get in our way of leaving a lasting impact on something or someone!”.
Following lunch members attended breakout sessions. The first breakout session was the Family Leader Team session with Kelley Mast from COMPASS. He told us a story from the Kearney area, shared what COMPASS does, and answered all of the questions members had! The next breakout session was the Career Leader Team breakout session with Kirsti Schack from FNBO. Kristi talked about the 50, 20, 30 rule and how much money you should put into your savings. She also discussed the difference between a debit and a credit card, how you can earn interest, and the pros and cons of a credit card. The final breakout session was the Community Leader Team breakout session with Amanda Pearson from Central Nebraska LOSS. She did a presentation about the sensitive topic of suicide and how to prevent it.
“This last session was my favorite because it was a hard subject to talk about. Usually no one talks about this. I’m glad I was here for this session.” Dakotah Albin said.
“This conference was very educational and moving. I enjoyed the session talking about how to deal with our finances. I also was moved by the last session on suicide. I feel as if everyone needs to hear what was said. My heart aches knowing the reasons and the stories that were told. I learned a lot from this conference and am so glad I went.” Kiley Richter said.
Members ended the day with a closing session and drawing for door prizes. Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) is a dynamic and effective national student organization that helps students become leaders and address important personal, family, work, and societal issues through Family and Consumer Sciences education. With over 199,000 members nationwide and nearly 3,000 members in over 100 chapters in Nebraska, FCCLA is the only career and technical in-school student organization with a central focus on careers that support families. Participation in FCCLA programs and chapter activities helps members become strong leaders in their families, careers, and communities. Nebraska FCCLA is supported through the Nebraska Center for Student Leadership and Extended Learning at the Nebraska Department of Education. For more information about FCCLA, please visit www.nebraskafccla.org