FCCLA (Family, Career and Community Leaders of America) was a cherished club that was active for more than 20 years. Despite the club’s popularity, FCCLA is being discontinued due to a lack of teacher advisory running the organization at Mills.
For years, FCCLA has been a national student organization focused on exercising leadership, preparing for future careers, and providing community services through the Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS). According to the FCCLA official website, the organization was founded and established in 1945 and is currently active with more than 200,000 members across the nation. FCCLA has continuously provided many students with opportunities, such as competing in state and regional events and expanding their leadership skills. Members also participate in STAR (Students Taking Action with Recognition) events and competitions, which are primarily focused on areas such as culinary arts, public speaking, entrepreneurship and many more.
With numerous students participating in competitions, meetings and community events, the organization encouraged students to become active within their community, whether that was on or off campus, while helping them develop leadership, communication and career skills. Many students expressed disappointment over the sudden discontinuation of FCCLA at Mills, particularly because the organization had been a popular and welcoming club on the school campus for many years. The club’s discontinuation left many dedicated members, including former teachers and students, saddened by the loss of this program.
Amber Chan (‘22), a former student at Mills, was an active member in FCCLA for all four years of her high school career. During her time in the club, she held many leadership positions at the regional and state levels and competed in STAR events. Chan reflected on the lasting impact the club had on her life both through her last few years of high school and as a young adult.
“The club not only provided me with friends and a community, but lifelong skills that I attribute my success throughout college, too,” Chan explained. “From leadership opportunities to events that allow students to explore different career paths and interests, I felt that FCCLA had provided a lot of guidance to me both throughout high school and college.”
Another member of FCCLA, Krystal Ma (11), also expressed significant disappointment over the discontinuation of the club. As a current member of the organization, Ma explained she initially joined the club after hearing about the opportunities FCCLA offered, such as connections to community building, as well as the organization’s overall takeover of California.
“My best memory was when we went to [State Leadership Conference], which brought together all the FCCLA regions within California down at Riverside in my sophomore year,” Ma adds. “I went with a lot of peers and had the opportunity to talk to other people out of the Bay Area.”
Eleanor Hulse, an adviser for FCCLA during the past two years, explained that the club’s disbandment reflects the constant changes in student interests and the demands that are placed on both the advisers and students.
“I think that the club disbanding is reflective of the trajectory of student interests at Mills and high schoolers as a whole,” Hulse says. “What used to be a common and robust program at high schools up and down the Peninsula is now few and far between, leaving Mills as the only chapter on the Peninsula, in San Francisco or in the South Bay.”
Hulse mentions that many other schools have also closed their chapters with FCCLA for the same reason: shifts between student interests and the overall commitment needed from both faculty and students. She explains that when organizing out-of-town travels to competitions, it was essential to hold several-hour meetings in order to ensure everything is settled before the trips.
“FCCLA demands a lot of its chapter officers, region officers and competitors. Many of our students are involved in many demanding extracurriculars at Mills, making it difficult for our members to contribute what is required of a CTE [Career and Technical Education] organization like FCCLA,” Hulse says.
Additionally, with an overwhelming amount of disappointment among former and current members, many hope for the club to make its comeback.
Dylan Hui (11), a member of FCCLA for two years, states, “I really hope that one day the club will make a comeback.” Hui explains one of his biggest accomplishments while being in FCCLA was raising over $2,000 by selling chocolate bars, showcasing the effects of FCCLA’s program to assist student leadership and confidence.
Nika Eskandarian (12), who joined her sophomore year, wishes that members are able to find or create brand new spaces at Mills in which there are opportunities similar to ones FCCLA introduced. “I know we’ve had a lot of competitors in the fashion and culinary arts divisions who all placed really well and had a lot of fun creating their products, so I just hope that another space at Mills is created where students can explore and experience different career paths!” Eskandarian states.
The discontinuation of FCCLA marks an end to a club that positively impacted many students through community involvement and leadership. As reflected in many of the students’ experiences, FCCLA was more than just a school organization, it was a space where students could grow academically while also forming many meaningful connections with peers. Its absence will forever leave a gap within the Mills community which highlights the importance of conserving programs that encourage both leadership and engagement.
