Five James Campbell High and one Leilehua High School students will be heading to the FCCLA (Family, Career & Community Leaders of America) National Leadership Conference in Orlando, Florida, from July 5 to 9, 2025, thanks to a $1,000 HEA travel grant for each of them. Funds for these HEA grants were made possible through a State of Hawaii grant-in-aid.
The grants were designated for students in Teaching as a Career Clubs, the Hawaii Department of Education’s CTE (Career and Technical Education) Pathway program, or those involved with Education Academies in their schools who need financial assistance to travel to national conferences or competitions. The recipients are: Evette Alacar, Layden Balisacan, Danica Baysa, Mia Fetalco, Penelope Oishi, and Ryiane Lei Pascua.
Val Tina Oishi, who serves as advisor for the James Campbell High School’s Educators Rising Club, is understandably proud that her students were selected to represent Hawaii at this conference.
The students attending the FCCLA National Leadership Conference will have the opportunity to learn from great speakers, participate in workshops, and network and compete with their peers from other states. This experience will help them become more confident, effective leaders in their school, community, and our state.
As newly elected FCCLA Hawaii State President, Evette Alacar will coordinate all activities pertaining to representing our state association and compete in the Job Interview STAR event. “This includes hosting meetings, preparing students for their STAR (Students Taking Actions with Recognition) events, coordinating during general sessions and distributing awards to nationally recognized programs and students,” she wrote in her application.
Mia Fetalco, a senior at James Campbell High School, is looking forward to the competition. “Over the past four years, I have specialized in the education pathway, which has sparked my passion for teaching,” she wrote in her application. “This year, I am excited to have the opportunity to compete in the 2025 FCCLA National Conference in the Early Childhood Education category. The theme for this year’s competition is ʻCircus of Creativity,’ which provides an exciting challenge for me to design an engaging and innovative lesson plan.”
“The competition itself is broken down into three main parts. First, I will have 20 minutes to analyze the prompt and create a lesson plan. Then, I will have 10 minutes to present the lesson I developed on the spot,” Mia added. “Finally, I will have five minutes to respond to questions from the judges, allowing me to showcase my understanding and preparation. I am thrilled to have this opportunity to challenge myself, represent my school, and showcase my passion for teaching at the national level.”
Fellow Saber Danica Baysa will also be competing in the Job Interview STAR event.
“The upcoming NLC offers a valuable chance to enhance my leadership abilities through comprehensive training and learning experiences,” Danica said. “I am excited to gain deeper insights into what it means to be an effective leader and how to make a meaningful impact. Additionally, this event will allow me to build connections with peers from across the U.S. and around the world, fostering collaboration and expanding my network…This experience will help me become a more confident and effective leader in not just my school and community, but a leader in the state of Hawaii.”
Penelope Oishi, of James Campbell High School, also worked hard for this upcoming conference. “During the FCCLA Hawaii State Leadership Conference, I participated in the Job Interview event for our James Campbell High School chapter and earned second place, a silver award. I will represent Hawaii as a delegate at the FCCLA National Leadership Conference and participate in the Level 2 (grades 9-10) Job Interview competition. I also plan to meet students from around the nation during the conference, learn more about additional FCCLA opportunities, and practice my communication and leadership skills.”
Layden Balisacan is also looking forward to showcasing his project, “Uplifting Mind: The Power of Words of Affirmation,” which won first place in the Hawaii FCCLA Leadership Conference, to a national stage at the FCCLA National Leadership Conference. His project, which fosters children’s self-esteem and emotional well-being through positive reinforcement, made a meaningful impact on nearly 600 children.
“I will be competing against participants from across the nation in the Focus on Children Level 3 program. FCCLA’s Focus on Children program is designed to support children’s development and well-being by addressing three key areas: fostering healthy relationships, promoting child development, and ensuring child safety,” Layden said. “This program challenges members to create impactful projects that positively influence children while developing their leadership skills and addressing critical issues.”
Ryiane Lei Pascua, representing Leilehua High School, said: “I will be representing the Leilehua High School FCCLA Chapter and competing in a skills demonstration event called, ʻLesson Plan Development and Modifications,’ where I will be given a chance to showcase the skills I have developed over the years I have been in the CTE Teacher Education Pathway. This individual event allows me to portray my skills in tailoring one of my original lesson plans according to a student’s profile given to me at the beginning of the competition. I am tasked with creating modifications for a student’s specific learning needs to ensure the well-being and ability of the student with learning within my classroom.”
Congratulations to all these great students! We are proud of all of them!