Ashley Marie: April 2014

For three years, i have had the incredible opportunity to be apart of a life changing organization, FCCLA. FCCLA stands for Family Career and Community Leaders of America. It is a non-profit leadership organization. This last weekend, I handed over my Idaho FCCLA State Secretary position over. Because that was my last moment as an FCCLA officer, and my last few moments as a member, I wanted to tell you all My Story.

It all began three years ago, my sophomore year in high school. I was in an interior design class, being my little shy, conservative self. My teacher lisa, one day, came in and told the class about a trip to Chicago for a leadership group. Me being me, wanting to travel, talked to her about it. She was actually quite surprised that I was interested. I may have not gone on the trip, but I did end up competing in the interior design category for FCCLA. I had no idea what FCCLA was and didn't really know anything about it at all, or the fact that it was going to change my life forever. Myself, and a few other students, whom of which I didn't know, competed at the district level, and made it to the State Leadership Conference. There were some miss-communications regarding my project, so even though I beat everyone in my competition, I was not able to compete in nationals. But that didn't stop me. Myself, my new friend Sadera, and Lisa fund-raised like heck, and we traveled in July 2012 to Orlando Florida for the FCCLA National Leadership Conference. While there, I served as one of the two voting delegates for Idaho. We also went to Universal Studios Orlando one day, and Disney World another. The amount of memories, songs, and inside jokes I gained from that week is indescribable. At that point, Lisa and Sadera and I had build a relationship that is unbreakable.

As the summer began to end, I was convinced by a few special people: Sadera, Lisa, and a State officer at that time. What did they convince me to do you say? Well...they convinced me to run to become one of the new Idaho State Officers. As the year began, I started preparing for my running for office tests, and speeches. Within my FCCLA chapter I ran and became the chapter President for that year! I was able to run meetings and so on. I also started my new competition project, Entrepreneurship. The Entrepreneurship competition is where you pretty much create your own business portfolio. It included a five year financial plan, zoning, laws and regulations, your office, employees, demographics, advertisements, and so much more. As the district competition approached, I went up in front of District three, and gave my speech. I remember thinking I didn't do well...that I stuttered a lot, especially since I was not good at public speaking. After my speech, I had several people stop me and say things such as "your speech was wonderful! I am definitely voting for you!" and even "your speech was very inspiring!". Hearing those words, at the point where I was, gave me the boost of confidence I needed to let myself know, that this was the right path to take.
I continued on to the State Leadership Conference where I got top gold in my competition, meaning I could compete at Nationals. While at state, I had an interview with the Idaho FCCLA board of directors, and presented a speech to the District once again. I also had to go up in front of the entire state and speak for a whole 10 seconds!! That....for me...was terrifying. That Friday, at state, all of the state officer candidates were to meet in the boardroom in the hotel. This was it. This is where we were going to find out weather we had made the new state officer team or not. I remember sitting in the room, with all of these strangers, who I had no idea would become some of my life long friends. We got our letters, and were dismissed from the boardroom. I went outside and sat at a table with a couple of my friends from my chapter, and opened the letter. The first thing I read was this... "Congratulations!". My heart stopped. I remember screaming, crying, and hugging my friends who were also jumping up and down. I did it. I actually did it. I made the 2013-2014 Idaho State Executive Council Team. Next, everyone who made it (who was everyone who ran..) met in the boardroom once again to determine positions. I was told to try and run for president...so...I did. I may not have gotten president, but I am quite happy that I didn't. I was recommend by a team member to be the state secretary, which I became. And I absolutely loved holding that position. As secretary, I was to record minutes during state executive council meetings, and take the presidents place if they were not able to be there.
After state, I went to Nationals with my incredible chapter! And can I just say, my chapter is so amazing. Every single one of them is the reason I am who I am today, they inspire me, they encourage me, and they root for me. and my adviser, Lisa, my second mom, my best friend, she is the most incredible woman I have ever met in the entire world.
At the 2013 National Leadership Conference in Nashville, Tennessee, I attended Leadership Academy with my team. We attended several workshops, and got to know each other! Again, the amount of memories, friendships gained, and inside jokes that occurred at nationals are indescribable and monumental.

Vanderbilt University Visit

The Band Perry Concert

The next year, I did not focus on a competition, but I focused on my State Secretary Position. In August, the team attended JSL (Joint Student Leadership) where all of the other PTE organizations such as BPA, TSA, HOSA, DECA, and SKILLS USA's state officers attended. At the end of JSL, we also had meetings with the board of directors where we practiced parliamentary procedure, and planned the 2014 State Leadership Conference. In October, I went to AG Days up at the University of Idaho (U of I). I presented a workshop with two of my other team mates on The Linus Project. That was the last time we were to see each other until the State Leadership Conference (SLC). Although, every 10th of every month, we were to turn in a Officer form on what we have done to get points. The points will be explained later.

This past weekend (April 8-12th) was the Pre and State Conference. The Pre-State Conference was for officers, and coordinators. We did industry tours of Scentsy and In The Bag Promotions. We also rehearsed opening and closing ceremonies, our state skit, and the installation ceremony, as well as the banquet, and STAR event recognition sessions. Oh and you can't forget us practicing for our leadership round-tables (mini workshops). By the time state arrived, we were in full uniform, and very busy. One thing after another from workshops, presentations, district meeting, voting delegate meetings, to dinners and dances. At opening ceremony, we preformed a skit that I helped write, and that we had rehearsed over and over and over again. We were told that it was the best skit they have seen in several years! I am sooo proud of everyone, and how smooth the opening ceremony went. Especially since it was in front of 400 people.

On Friday, April 11th, a year from then, is when I was sitting in the boardroom deciding what position I would hold. As secretary, I was to attend that board meeting. I helped the state president, Hannah, hand out their letters which had said "Congratulations!", the ones that I opened. I even wrote some of them...I helped write a few letters that will change others lives forever. Imagine that. They all came back to the boardroom where it was time...to decide the new positions. This was hard...it was weird to look at them, and realize that I was in their positions one year ago. I looked at each of them closely. They have no clue that their life long friends, are in that room, that this meeting, was one they will remember forever, and I was apart of it. You could feel the awkwardness, shyness, and worried feeling they had, and the sad, ending like feeling that Hannah and I were experiencing. The position for the president was decided to be Shaylee (who was on my officer team, so I am SUPER happy she got the position), and Hannah handed over her bag, and left. At that point, it all became so real. They decided the new secretary. I handed over my bag, hugged the new secretary, Sarah, hugged Shaylee, hugged the State Adviser Theresa, and left. It was so hard, and I will admit, I teared up a bit. That evening, was the banquet. We pre-recorded speeches that were to be played with pictures of us at the banquet. When my turn arrived, I walked out behind the crowd, walked up to Lisa, my second mom, and handed her a rose. She started crying, along with all my chapter, and as did I. I stood up on the stage with my team and smiled, it was amazing that we had made it this far.
The next day, Saturday April 12th, was installation day. After the STAR (competitions) event recognition session, we stood on the stage for the last time as a team. We held up our candles, said what we were told to say, and introduced the new 2014-2015 State Executive Council Team to the state. Once the meeting was closed, the crying began. (still on stage in front of hundreds..) we hugged, cried, laughed, and smiled. We enjoyed the fact that all of us, who will be friends forever, had completed our term, all of our hard work had payed off, our visions had become a reality, and it was done. I received a plaque saying Outstanding Officer: Gold. I got a high award, which made me proud of myself. I want to show you all pictures of my last moments as a state officer...there are a lot...but that's okay. This was a time that I can never experience again, and once again, it was monumental. I even had some people that I never knew say "Hey Ashley!". they new my name. and I had people say "You did amazing! I want to be an officer now!" or "you have inspired me!". I now know, that all of this, was so incredibly worth it.