Alyna Barriga, Javier Alvarez, Iris Alvarez and Nichole Estrada. Courtesy photo.
SANTA MARIA — Four Pioneer Valley High School Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) members are competing in this year’s annual FCCLA competitions, with hopes they will place at region and move on to the state level where scholarships, prizes and awards can be earned.
Once students created their projects and the supplemental materials, they had to record a video of themselves as if they were presenting to a panel of judges. Results will be shared during this year’s virtual State Leadership Meeting in March.
Teacher Melissa Diaz worked closely with the fashion construction competitors, assisting them during the sewing project through Zoom and often times in person after school. Teacher Jenn Montanez worked with the culinary students teaching skills through Zoom or in person.
“I decided to compete in fashion construction because of the encouragement I received from my FCCLA advisors and for my love of sewing,’’ said senior Alyna Barriga. “Overall, it was a really fun and rewarding experience. I improved my skills regarding time management, paying close attention to detail and being confident in my skill set. The digital aspect of it was only but another challenge to overcome.”
“Competitions this year were quite different due to distance learning,’’ Montanez added. “These students dedicated time outside of school to create their projects at home, which is impressive. Preparing competitions for online this year was another obstacle these students overcame during an already interesting school year. Melissa Diaz and I are very proud of the hard work these students have put into their competitions this year and wish them the best of luck!”
The students include Barriga, Javier Alvarez, Iris Alvarez and Nichole Estrada.