Seven Students from Black River High School Shined Bright at the 2025 State Leadership Conference in Columbus, Ohio from April 25-26.
Columbus, OH 2025 – The 2025 FCCLA State Leadership Conference (SLC) took place at the Ohio State Fairgrounds on April 24th and 25th and consisted of general sessions, a college and career expo, Career Development Event competition, member and chapter recognition, and incredible networking and leadership opportunities for members all across the great state of Ohio!
One of the largest parts of the conference was the much anticipated Career Development Events (CDE’s) that members work on all year long. FCCLA Members have the option to complete a project and compete at the regional level in hopes to compete at SLC and the National Leadership Conference. Black River FCCLA had 20 members in 12 events qualify for SLC and they were recognized for their proficiency and achievement in chapter and individual projects, leadership skills, and career preparation. The collaboration between youth and adults in managing the events and evaluating participants allowed students to develop real-world skills and gain valuable insights.
CDE’s are pivotal in supporting student development by enhancing their classroom experience and guiding them toward successful career pathways. With more than 30 events to choose from, participants had the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge, skills, and abilities by actively addressing essential issues concerning families, careers, or communities. By researching the topic and implementing projects to advocate for positive change, students acquired valuable skills and industry insights needed to thrive in the 21st century.
After the participants compete and present to a panel of 3 evaluators, they are scored based upon their rubrics and are given an average score and placed among all of the other competitors among their project and level. To advance to the National Leadership Conference, participants must place top 2 in the state and have a score of 80 or above. We are thrilled to share that 11 competitors in 7 projects have qualified for the National Leadership Conference in Orlando, Florida. Emma Bright and Kallie Bacho (Nutrition and Wellness - 1st place), Gabby Bright (Career Investigation - 2nd place), Abby Demczyk (Focus on Children - 2nd place), Brock Martin (Leadership - 2nd place), Josh Adkins (Leadership - 2nd place), Jenevieve Dieter, Rebekah Miller, and Peyton Steward (Sports Nutrition - 2nd place), and Autumn Skinner and Ava Workinger (Chapter Service Project Display - 1st place) proudly represented Black River High School at the FCCLA State Leadership Conference and we are so proud of their hard work and the amazing feat that they have accomplished. Our chapter is excited to have Abby, Autumn, Brock, Emma, Gabby, Jenna, and Kallie represent Black River in Orlando, Florida!
On top of Career Development Events, two members and chapter officers showed their passion for FCCLA by running for a position on the Ohio FCCLA Executive Council. Abby Demczyk and Brock Martin thoughtfully completed their application, wrote and memorized a 3 minute speech, interviewed, networked with members at SLC, gave their speech to the delegation, and were officially elected to the council. This is an honor for them and our chapter and we are excited to have Abby serve as the State Vice President of Community Service and Brock serve as the State Vice President of Public Relations. We cannot wait to see how they Dare to Dream with FCCLA in the coming year!
About FCCLA
Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) is a dynamic and effective student-led nation-based organization supporting youth on their journey to become the leaders of tomorrow and helping them address important personal, family, work, and societal issues through Family and Consumer Sciences education. FCCLA has over 250,000 members and more than 5,300 chapters across the nation.
The Ultimate Leadership Experience is unique among youth organizations because its programs are planned and run by members. It is the only career and technical intracurricular student organization with a central focus on careers that support families. Participation in national FCCLA programs and chapter activities aids members in becoming strong leaders in their families, careers, and communities. For more information on FCCLA, please contact Jenny Demczyk at 419-736-3303 ext:1221 or jdemczyk@blrv.org
National Qualifiers from left to right:
Josh Adkins, Abby Demczyk, Emma Bright, Kallie Bacho, Ava Workinger, Autumn Skinner, Gabby Bright, Peyton Stewart, Rebekah Miller, Jenevieve Dieter, and Brock Martin.