PORT ISABEL — In three short years, the high school’s Family, Career and Community Leaders of America chapter has advanced to the state competition twice.
And armed with a young team, it may quite possibly be the recipe to make the national scene sooner rather than later.
The team is coming off an impressive showing at the regional level winning eight gold medals, 13 silver and four bronze in the Family and Consumer Science Assessments division at the regional competition held in Corpus Christi.
Port Isabel High School’s FCCLA chapter is advancing 15 of 34 members to the State Leadership Conference April 6-8.
The event will be held at the Sheraton Hotel Conference Center in Dallas.
“It’s very exciting. Most of the kids on the team have never left the Valley,” said Monica Kindervater, chapter advisor. “It’s exciting travel-wise. But the kids will get to meet other students doing the same thing they are doing.”
The student members competed against Region V high schools from schools in the Rio Grande Valley, Central Texas and Laredo during the Region V Leadership Conference in Corpus Christi.
Students competed in areas such as advocacy, chapter and review display, entrepreneurship, food innovations, life event planning, parliamentary procedure, and various family and consumer science assessments.
“I wish all my teams had advanced to state,” Kindervater said.
One of the teams that advanced in the advocacy division presented on the topic of cyberbulling and what to do when it happens and how to prevent it.
Kindervater said their presentation was strong enough to advance to state.
In addition, sophomore Victoria Lopez was declared the 2017-2018 regional vice president of correspondence. She was formerly local chapter officer of national programs.
Her responsibilities will include keeping communications open with all local chapters and the regional advisor for FCCLA.
“Mrs. Kindervater encouraged me to campaign for this position because of the experience I acquired in my previous position,” Lopez said.
School district administrators said they are very proud of their students for utilizing the best resources to compete and wish them the best of luck at the state competition.
“This organization is big on leadership and the community,” Kindervater said. “We are encouraging more of the Valley students to join.”
