Whether you’ve seen students escorting the Little Vikes to and from class, heard somebody complain over the constant all-nighters they’ve spent with their sewing machines, or glimpsed your friends decked out in one of those snazzy chef uniforms, you know that the students of FCCLA mean business when it comes to doing what they do. Just this April, Niles North’s FCCLA students competed at State in Springfield, achieving many victories and even Nationals qualifiers in the highly competitive STAR categories of fashion, culinary arts and child development.
This was senior Ariel Tidhar’s third year competing at the STAR level competition, her first time making Nationals. In the STAR fashion category one is required to design a line of six outfits, bringing one of the sketches to life. Tidhar created a fall coat for her event, the project taking months to complete. “It felt amazing to finally make Nationals after three years of competing at STAR events. I worked so hard on the final product, and my hard work truly paid off in the end,” Tidhar said.
In the STAR child development category, Niles North’s seniors Gabi Weinketz and Maria Fernandes emerged as National qualifiers, their project titled, “Focus On The Children.” Weinketz and Fernandes focused on nutrition and obesity. They conducted a workshop for children and parents about healthy eating, along with creating a cookbook with healthy recipes. “They are both hard workers and self-starters. Whenever they get an idea they just go with it,” says FCCLA sponsor and Child Development teacher Deborah Meyer.
Lastly, in the STAR culinary category, junior Jordan Kabins and sophomore David Barak were chosen to be among  the Top Six in the State, after having to create an entire meal (appetizers and dessert included) with the recipes they were assigned. After competing with four other qualifiers in a grueling competition to see who would be the final pick for Nationals, although neither was chosen in the end, both have progressed an incredibly long way.
FCCLA Nationals will take place in Orlando, Fla. , July 8-12, where the Niles North classmates will compete in their respective events, participate in a leadership conference and have the opportunity to win scholarships.
For any students considering getting involved with FCCLA,  Meyer recommends taking one of the many family consumer science classes at North. Julie Lear, FCCLA sponsor and fashion and chefs teacher, agrees, adding, “The biggest challenge is that the students have to take the initiative to do their project since they need to do more of it independently–the sponsors just guide them”.
In the end it is important to seize all the opportunities that Niles North provides. With these opportunities, whether it is Science Fair or fashion, one gains perspective not only about a possible career choice, but about one’s own personality.