Local student earns FCCLA national award

Independent staff and submitted information

Abbie Mengerink, Van Wert High School/Vantage Career Center student and FCCLA member, virtually attended the 2021 FCCLA National Leadership Conference, where she was awarded a gold medal for her project. 

More than 2,500 students and advisors nationwide participated in Student Taking Action with Recognition (STAR) Event projects with the top STAR Event competitors from each state advancing to compete virtually at the national conference held June 27-July 2. 

Mengerink competed in the Professional Presentation category, earning a gold medal in her STAR event, a project that focused on human trafficking. 

“I think teens and adults nowadays don’t know much about it. We hear about it on the news, but don’t really understand what it is or how it’s happening,” said Mengerink. “I think it’s important for teens to understand it because if they encounter it, or someone they know encounters it, they know what to do.” 

STAR events are competitive events in which members are recognized for their proficiency and achievement in chapter and individual projects, leadership skills, and career preparation. STAR events allow students to compete individually or as a team. There are more than 30 STAR events students can choose to compete in, all which recognize participants that demonstrate their knowledge, skills, and abilities to actively identify an issue concerning families, careers, or communities, research the topic, and develop and implement a project to advocate for a positive change. In order to advance to compete on the national level in a STAR event, members first compete at the regional/district and state levels. 

About FCCLA
Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) is a dynamic and effective national student organization that helps young men and women become leaders and address important personal, family, work, and societal issues through Family and Consumer Sciences education. FCCLA reaches more than 180,000 members and over 5,000 Family and Consumer Sciences educators in the United States and territories.