Members of the Manhattan chapter of Family, Career and Community Leaders of America brought back three top placings in national competitions at the leadership conference in November. 

The fall conference in Birmingham, Alabama, featured several food-related events such as culinary knife skills and baking. One student also competed in impromptu speaking, according to chapter sponsor Heide Rippert. FCCLA members competed with people in the same age range, from eighth graders in level one up through postsecondary members in level four. 

Freshman Nathan DeArmond brought home the highest award from the conference, earning first place in level two knife skills. 

“I just went up there and the lady said cut and I started cutting,” DeArmond said. “It was pretty cool getting first place as a freshman. I guess I just cut up the competition.”

Senior Charlotte Chilton also placed, earning second in level three knife skills, and senior Taelor Goff received third place in level three food art. 

FCCLA has over 230,000 members in over 5,000 chapters across the U.S. Rippert said FCCLA, which exists in just about every state in America (including American Samoa and Puerto Rico), helps students do and learn normal everyday tasks through competitions. FCCLA helps students learn and develop skills such as decision making, problem solving, planning and more. 

“Some events are just general such as job interviews, or Core Investigations, culinary arts, knife skills, career skills. And they are eligible for scholarships and scholarship money,” Rippert said. “They will also have STAR events, which are more competition related. Most of our competitions this year will be in February.”