The Adventure of a LIfetime
When I began my FCCLA journey back in 7th grade, I frankly had no idea what I was getting myself into. I joined the organization so I would have something productive to do with my time after school on Wednesdays, and a bunch of my friends were getting involved too, so it looked like a fun thing to be a part of. Little did I know, a little more than four years after that, I would be representing the over 220,000 members of the Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America as the National First Vice President of the organization. I can honestly say that when I joined FCCLA, I had no intentions of running for a State Office, let alone a National Office, but as I continued my involvement in the organization, I realized just how much I could get out of FCCLA - so long as I was willing to put the necessary effort in. Through my five years of service through FCCLA I have truly learned what it means to be a better family member, wage earner, and community leader – lessons I will no doubt take on with me through life after high school and beyond.
Like I said before, running for National Office was by no means my ultimate goal when joining FCCLA five years ago. I was simply an involved chapter member, having a great time giving back to my community with my friends. However, in 8th grade when I was given the opportunity to run for a chapter office, I took the opportunity by the horns and was elected as chapter president. From that moment on, I knew that there would be more responsibility that accompanied my new title, but as the year went on, I realized that I thrived off of that newfound responsibility, and I could use my title as chapter president to not only help our chapter complete outstanding community service projects, but to also get other people excited about FCCLA. Holding a leadership position in FCCLA, even at that early level, gave me a new insight on being a leader: by taking a risk and assuming more responsibility in an organization like FCCLA, it ultimately brought out the best in me, which enabled me to bring out the best in others around me – and that was awesome!
I knew that I wanted to continue to be a leader in FCCLA in high school; so my freshman year, I served as our chapter’s middle school liaison, and during my sophomore year, I served as my chapter’s vice president of membership. Also in my sophomore year, I took the leadership lessons I learned from being a chapter officer to run for a State Office, and from 2007-2008, I had the pleasure of serving as the Michigan FCCLA Vice President of Programs. Still, I knew that I could push my leadership potential even more, and the only way to do that was to run for a National Office. When I was elected as Michigan’s National Officer Candidate at the 2008 State Leadership Meeting, a multitude of emotions began to flood over me. The moment of truth was quickly approaching, and I was more nervous than ever.
I kind of gave it away in the beginning, but to make a long story short; after a nerve- wrenching interview, a speech in front of over 1,500 people, and several nights of severe difficulty falling asleep, I was elected to the National Executive Council for Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America. It was an incredible journey, and along the way, I got the opportunity to meet so many amazing people, see so many incredible sights, and experience being a part of the most dynamic career and technical student organization in the United States. In order for you to make your FCCLA experience the best it can be, you need to challenge yourself, and step outside of your boundaries and try something new. I started off as a chapter member with no intentions of holding a leadership position in this organization, but now I’m serving as the National First Vice President - and that goes to show that even if you have the slightest bit of drive to accomplish something, give it your all and go for it. Run for a chapter office, a state office, or even a national office, and push yourself to your fullest leadership potential. I guarantee that even if you aren’t elected, the journey itself will take you to places you never thought were possible of visiting before, and you’ll remember the experience regardless of the outcome. Remember, what doesn’t kill ya’ only makes you stronger.