Students, advisors and guests from 187 schools – including Montgomery County High School – attended the 2024 Missouri Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) State Leadership Conference on March 17-19 at Margaritaville Lake Resort and Conference Center in Osage Beach. Almost 1,600 middle and high school students from across the state represented the more than 8,600 members of Missouri FCCLA.
MCHS had a successful showing, receiving six awards total, including three National Program awards.

The chapter received a first-place National Program award for student body. This award is given to the chapter that helps members learn to make informed, responsible choices for their physical and mental health while also providing opportunities to each other. The project completed by the chapter came out of the FCCLA Entrepreneurship class.

MCHS picked up a first-place award for the Career Connections program. This is given to the chapter that is learning more about themselves and the workplace, refining skills to become better potential employees and preparing themselves for future careers by putting themselves on the pathway to success. The project the chapter used to showcase these talents was their 100th Day of School T-shirts they designed, marketed and produced for the elementary students at JBE and MCE in celebration of the 100th day of school in March.

The chapter got a third-place award for the Families First program. This is given to the chapter that gains a better understanding of how families work and learn skills to become strong family members. The project the chapter completed was their Elf on the Shelf project, which funds the Adopted Families for Christmas within the Montgomery County community.

Beth Beattie, MCHS’ FCCLA chapter advisor, received a certificate of recognition on stage for 20 years of FCCLA advising and her assistance to other chapters across the state in her career.

Linda Krattli was nominated by the chapter for her time and efforts given to our chapter. She received the Missouri Honorary Membership Award for her volunteering efforts. Her grandson, Grayson Dunlap, and chapter officers accepted the award on her behalf on stage.

MCHS received a Star Chapter distinction award, which is given to chapters that recruited and affiliated 50-74 percent of their Family and Consumer Sciences program students.

The conference centered on the student-developed theme, “Missouri FCCLA: Out of this World,” representing how Missouri FCCLA members are launching their leadership to new levels. The conference kicked off on March 17 with the opening general session in which the 2023-2024 Missouri FCCLA State Executive Council presided. The keynote speaker was Dr. Laymon Hicks.

The next day, almost 800 students participated in 81 competitive STAR (Students Taking Action with Recognition) events. Events include entrepreneurship, culinary arts, job interviews, chapter service projects, event management, early childhood education, sports nutrition and so many others. More than 180 students and teams advanced to national competition, which will take place in Seattle, Wash., this summer.
Students were able to attend workshops on leadership development, community service, career preparation and healthy living. Exhibits from Missouri colleges, universities and vendors were also present at the conference. Student voting delegates elected the 2024-2025 Missouri FCCLA State Executive Council and raised money for our state outreach project benefiting LOVEtheLOU.

Chapter officers Hannah Toenges, Beth Bextermiller, Aaliyah Onofre, and Danielle Thomas represented MCHS. Mariah Fish, Addison Brower and Alexa Groeber competed against more than 25 of the best teams in the state battling for top five in Missouri honors. Fish and Brower competed in a community service category with their project encouraging reading at both elementary schools. Their project hosted a reading challenge in January. On average, Jonesburg Elementary students read 9,720 minutes and Montgomery City Elementary students read 19,680 minutes. During the week of their FCCLA reading challenge, students read a combined 35,344 minutes, making an extra 5,944 minutes or almost 100 extra hours of reading among our county’s elementary students. Their project was supported by the Montgomery City Kiwanis chapter to help to provide books to each classroom’s library for all classrooms at JBE and MCE that participated. Fish and Brower were awarded second in the state of Missouri and Fish will be taking the project on to national competition.

Groeber competed in the professional job interview category, facing a large number of competitive schools. She was awarded fifth in Missouri in her category. All top five competitors from MCHS were recognized at the STAR Events Recognition Session and all of them finished in the top five in Missouri.

Olivia Spurgeon was elected as the Missouri Region 4 President in January. In her new position, she hosted her first Region 4 meeting and presented Region 4 information in a Missouri general session on stage.