‘A small school on a big stage’

Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) is an organization dedicated to supporting young people in becoming innovators in their desired field, areas like human services, education, health science and entrepreneurship.

With a shortage of professionals in some of these areas, particularly in rural parts of the state, its vital to encourage the community’s youth to become tomorrow’s leaders.

And that’s exactly what’s happening in the Abbotsford School District. You might assume that such a small FCCLA chapter may not compete at the national level, but it seems that students Jordan Jakel and Chloe Cihlar didn’t get that memo.

From July 5-9, Jakel and Cihlar represented Abbotsford at the national FCCLA convention in Orlando, Fla.

Cihlar took home eighth place out of 100 finalists in the Teach or Train event, a category that recognizes participants who display their aptitude to discover and engage in teaching.

Jakel, who competed in Skill Demonstration events, showcased her ability to create and modify lesson plans that will help ensure that her future students get their individual needs met. She took home a fifth place finish out of only 37 competitors at nationals.

Jakel is no stranger to nationals; she made it last year as well, but submitted a different project this year at the urging of Abbotsford’s FCCLA advisor, Nicole Kloth-Den Otter.

If you’ve never heard of FCCLA or its presence within the Abbotsford School District, you’re not alone; even Cihlar is a newcomer to the program.

“It’s definitely one of the smaller clubs,” she said. “I didn’t even join until my senior year because I didn’t know much about it.”

Cihlar said FCCLA chapters accept students in middle and high school, and even those in college.

Once she heard that FCCLA could propel her towards her dream of becoming a physical education teacher, Cihlar went all in. Part of her project required her to shadow a teacher. Her schedule happened to line up with an elementary class, so she went back to second grade, this time standing in front of the classroom instead of sitting behind a desk.

Cihlar was tasked with designing, creating and teaching three related lesson plans, after which she was given feedback by the teacher.

“I just learned so much more about the world of education and how you have to be versed, and adapt to different students’ learning styles,” Cihlar said. “I feel like I’m even more excited to get on with school and be a teacher.”

In addition to being a motivator, teaching an actual class opened her eyes to a barrier that she hadn’t yet considered – a language barrier.

“In the classroom that I went into, there were 15 minority students and two that were not, so I had to figure out how I was going to translate all my lessons so everyone could understand,” Cihlar said.

Thankfully, the district has already taken appropriate steps to ensure inclusivity for all, which Cihlar was able to utilize. But, without her involvement in FCCLA, she may not have had the opportunity to practice addressing this challenge in a real-time setting.

“I kind of had a reality check,” she said. “I learned that you have to adapt to different learning styles… I’m just so excited to be a teacher.” For Jakel, the program itself has been beyond valuable. In addition to creating projects, she’s using the organization to better her skills all-around, starting with public speaking.

“I have never been good at public speaking or even getting up in front of my class to give a presentation, so by doing presentations, I have forced myself to get out of my comfort zone and present in front of four people I have never met before,” she said of sharing her project with the judges at nationals.

Jakel also recognizes the significance of learning how to be a leader all-around. While this isn’t her first year in the FCCLA club, it is her first year as an officer.

“That helped with my teamwork skills as we have had to plan activities for our chapter,” she said. Her project last year was centered around leadership and self-analysis, skills that she continues to carry with her.

In learning how to address challenges head-on, both students have also discovered something about themselves: their ability to handle pressure.

“When I was getting ready to compete I was nervous, but I knew I couldn’t let it get to me and I had to present no matter what,” Jakel said. “Competing at such a high level helps you come out of your comfort zone.”

“I kind of doubted myself a little bit going into that,” Cihlar said, echoing Jakel’s sentiment. “I just learned that I can do hard things.”

The convention wasn’t just all work and no play; the students had time to network with youth from around the country, comparing and contrasting notes and experiences.

Cihlar said it was exciting to meet other people her age who were also invested in their respective paths.

“They’re obviously so passionate about it and they they want to be there,” she said.

Jakel said one of her favorite moments at the convention center was trading pins with the other competitors.

“It allowed me to connect with people all over the country and talk to them about where they are from and what their chapter does,” she said.

In addition to some fun networking opportunities, the students had a chance to let their hair down while in Florida, including a day spent at Universal Studios where Cihlar learned of her eighth place finish while waiting in line for a ride.

“I was just kind of riding that high for a little while,” she said.

Kloth-Den Otter was not surprised that her students placed so well at the national convention. She knew that both young ladies created projects centered around their passions and worked hard to develop the skills necessary to be competitive at a high level. She said Jakel had invested significant time working with children in the school district and at the YMCA, both of which increased her knowledge on how to adjust and modify lesson plans. Kloth-Den Otter is confident that Jakel will do well in her field working with people of all ages.

Kloth-Den Otter also believes that Cihlar will make a positive impact on her students in the future, stating that her confidence, speaking skills and leadership qualities not only led to her eighth place finish at nationals, but will contribute to her success as a physical education instructor.

Both Jakel and Cihlar expressed gratitude for the support they’ve received from their community along the way.

“Representing such a small school on a big stage was an experience I really appreciate,” Jakel said. “A lot of small schools in Central Wisconsin do not pay for the students to have the opportunity to compete on such a large stage.”

Kloth-Den Otter, Jakel, and Cihlar all encourage students thinking about joining FCCLA to take the leap.

“Just do it and push yourself to do it well,” Jakel said. “You cannot grow without trying something you are not comfortable with.”

“Show up,” Cihlar challenged. “Just go for it… You don’t even know until you just try.”