Presented by California FCCLA (Family, Career and Community Leaders of America), the 2018 Spring Leadership Meeting and Region Qualifying Competitions brought FCCLA chapters from all over Northern California to Wilcox High School on Feb. 10. Denise Arellano, 17, President of Wilcox Chapter FCCLA, placed first for her “Chapter in Review Portfolio.” Arellano credited her officer duties for helping her gain life skills in leadership, teamwork, time management and communication that she can use in nursing, a career she is interested in.
“The purpose of the Spring Meeting for FCCLA is to give students an opportunity to showcase their skills and training through competitive events in categories such as Fashion, Culinary, Education, Hospitality and Interior Design,” said Mindy Trisko, FCCLA Advisor and Fashion Design & Marketing Instructor at Wilcox High School. “Students will have a chance to receive feedback from industry professionals and learn how to improve their skills so they have a higher chance of getting hired in their chosen industry.”
In the morning, competitors gathered in the cafeteria to perform demonstrations in culinary arts, cake decorating, table display and menu planning. In the school’s classrooms, competitors gave presentations and demonstrations in other categories.
Christian Burgoz, 17, worked with fellow Wilcox High School students Cole Bay and Syl Cole to put together a presentation about a food line they created. The team placed second in the Food Innovations category.
“We made a frozen food—a tortellini filled with turkey with primavera sauce,” Burgoz said. “Along with that, we worked out the cost of the packaging and the food itself. We proposed a way to market our product. What our focus group was centered around was 65 and older working adults.”
Thanks to his participation in FCCLA, Burgoz already knows where he’ll be attending college.
“I won a national FCCLA Culinary Arts competition held in Nashville, Tennessee last July; the full-tuition scholarship that I won will allow me attend Sullivan University in Kentucky,” Burgoz said. “In college, I’ll be studying Culinary Arts and working toward a degree in Food Science.”
In the Fashion Design category, Wilcox High School student and FCCLA member Chrisel Pascual, 16, presented her fashion design line. She showed a pair of 70s-inspired wide leg pants and a tight fitting shirt with flared sleeves, which she would price at about $15 to $16 per garment. Her business plan for her brand included building an online store and forecasting fashion trends. Pascual’s presentation qualified her to attend the state competition later this year.
“I want to go to FIDM (Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising) in Los Angeles or Academy of Art University in San Francisco,” said Pascual. “I would like to study graphic design and continue to focus on fashion design and fashion history.”