Asher Swank started his freshman year in 2020 at Southeast of Saline High School, Southeast of Saline Unified School District 306, in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, spending a lot of time at home. That’s when he decided to join Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA).

The more he learned about FCCLA, the more he wanted to promote it and get people in the school talking about it. It helped him be more eager to attend school and be involved.

“I love helping people,” he said. “It’s a great organization I felt had good values and thought this was something I’d like to pursue and make an impact more than I would just sitting around my house doing nothing.”

Now a senior, Swank is the state vice president of peer education. He joined other representatives of Career and Technical Education (CTE) organizations at the 2024 CTE Showcase on Monday, Feb. 19 at the Kansas Statehouse, hosted by the Kansas Association for Career and Technical Education (K-ACTE).

February is CTE Month. Kansas Career and Technical Education prepares students for a wide range of work, training and educational opportunities including:

• Developing real-world employability skills.
• Connects students to workforce applications.
• Promotes postsecondary degrees and certifications.
• Introduces students to industry partners.

FCCLA state president, Ava Gustin, said she started becoming interested in the organization when she was in elementary school.

“They came down and did a lot of community service projects with us, and I just kind of knew that they were the cool people that brought us stuff or did activities with us, but I never really thought it would be for me,” she said. “And then once I got into my freshman year, I took different family and consumer science classes. From there, I learned that I loved FCCLA and that it really is a part of everyday life.”

Gustin is a freshman at Mission Valley High School, Mission Valley USD 330, where she is taking a culinary arts class this semester that she said ties into FCCLA.

“I’ve just realized throughout my life that family and consumer sciences is everywhere, whether I’m saying hi to a younger student, or eating breakfast, as well as doing leadership opportunities,” she said.

Lexi Vogt, a senior at Blue Valley High School, Blue Valley USD 384, has been in Future Farmers of America (FFA) since she was in 8^th grade. She said her public speaking has improved through FFA. Vogt encourages any student who is on the fence about joining an organization to give it a try.

“FFA, especially, there are so many different outlets you can do, so many different opportunities,” she said. “There’s something for everybody. Just give it a try and if you don’t find something you like, then you don’t have to keep doing it. But I bet you’ll find something.”