Jacksonville, AL – As originally reported by Brett Buckner of JSU’s Media Department, Jacksonville State University’s Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) chapter is celebrating another year of national success. For the third consecutive year, students from the program have earned top honors at the FCCLA’s national conference, held this year in Orlando, Florida, from July 4–10.
“This was probably the highest attended conference Jax State students have participated in over the past several years,” said Kimberly Mitchell, faculty advisor and program chair of Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) Education. “We had over 10,000 FCCLA members from across the nation. It gives my students a chance to not only compete on a national level, but to see what other students, especially those education majors, are going to be doing when they start teaching. It gives them an inside track on the process.”
This year’s winners were:
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Emma Dalton, a 21-year-old incoming senior from Geraldine majoring in Family and Consumer Science Education, who won first place for her Fashion Construction project.
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Dulce Diaz, a 19-year-old incoming sophomore from Albertville majoring in Family and Consumer Sciences Education, who won second place for her Say Yes to FCS project.
Mitchell praised both students, calling them “phenomenal” and emphasizing how the competition helps prepare them for future teaching careers.
Dalton, who created an evening gown for her project, described her first FCCLA experience as invaluable. “I went into the conferences not knowing what to expect, so I was kinda nervous, but I absolutely loved the atmosphere,” she said.
Diaz, a longtime FCCLA participant from her high school years, reflected on the difference of competing as a college student. “As a secondary student, it was more about networking with the younger students. You feel like a leader instead of a follower. It was a full-circle moment,” she said.
Jax State is the only university in Alabama to host a post-secondary FCCLA chapter. Mitchell noted that the program not only helps students apply their classroom learning through competitive events but also strengthens recruitment for the university.
“It’s just their willingness to continue doing something that they know that matters,” Mitchell said. “It’s also been a great recruiting tool for our program and university as well.”
