From the crowd, sophomore Whitley Coke looked at the State Officers on stage.

“I’m gonna be up there next year,” she thought to herself. “Just wait on it.”

Coke was attending the Family Career and Community Leaders of America State Leadership Conference, which was held April 4-5 in Wichita’s Marriott Hotel and Century II Performing Arts and Convention Center. The event included a State-level competition in the club’s S.T.A.R. (Students Taking Action with Recognition) events, as well as meetings and breakout sessions. About 1,500 students attended the conference.

Though five students from Manhattan High were present, sophomore and club president Kaitlin Tyler was the only FCCLA member from MHS to compete in her S.T.A.R. event. She was ranked bronze, the third-highest level of recognition, for her presentation on the environment.

“I was honestly a little bit upset,” Tyler said. “I thought my project reflected very well on how to live a Greener Lifestyle.”

Motivational speakers at the event included Adrian Bulinski, who currently serves as Miss Kansas, as well as Project Runway Jr. designer Jaxson Miller, Kansas Secretary of Agriculture Adrian Polansky and National Vice President of Community Service Gabriella Cutruzzula.

Saturday morning was spent at the Marriott. Students who didn’t compete in S.T.A.R. events timed those who were participating, then everyone met to welcome their new State Officers. (That was when Coke was inspired to become one.) After lunch, FCCLA members competed in a fun run for the foundation, then went to Century II to vote for this year’s club delegates.

The next day, students attended the closing session at the Marriott, where they introduced new council members, held track sessions, recognized successful clubs and students and said goodbye to retiring officers.

Students had different perspectives on the event and its highlights, but they all enjoyed it.

“I was expecting to get there and for it to be really boring because it said ‘Conference’ in the name and I was like, ‘I’m not feeling this,’” Coke said. “And I get there and it’s like, I met so many new people and I got to be one of the timers and runners, so I got to listen in on some of the S.T.A.R. events people were presenting, and there’s just so many people and all kinds of events.”

“I thought it was very interesting,” sophomore Anna Hastings said. “The whole dynamic of it is so cool because you have to be really organized and collected and there’s certain standards they hold you to that I wouldn’t expect them to have many components of. But I really enjoyed it; it was super fun.”