Shining Stars

Shining+Stars

Kaci Wiens, Staff Member

This past weekend, FCCLA members Brianna Castillo, Evonne Tomlin, Hannah Potter, and Genesis Baze competed in FCCLA STAR Events in Waco, Texas. STAR stands for “Students Taking Action for Recognition,” and consists of different competitive events and categories. The girls represented our chapter by competing in National Programs in Action (Hannah Potter), Nutrition and Wellness (Evonne Tomlin), Teach and Train (Genesis Baze), and Focus on Children (Brianna Castillo).

Chapter advisor Danielle Baze has spent hours on end preparing the competitors for their events. She has had lots of experience in leading FCCLA teams, and that is easy for anyone to see due to the success of her students and FCCLA program.

Genesis Baze, who competed in Teach and Train, is not only Mrs. Baze’s student, but also her daughter.

“I felt like she was just there to help me all the time,” Genesis Baze (9) said. “If I had a question, I could ask her, and I never felt like I was in the dark.”

Doing well in competition requires hard work. The girls poured their time into these projects and really had to dedicate themselves to it.

“The hardest part was working up enough concentration and confidence to go in there and present and just do my best,” Hannah Potter (10) said.

Like any other assignment, it can be difficult to keep motivated and see the light at the end of the tunnel. Genesis Baze experienced this on a much larger scale, considering her dedication to not only FCCLA, but the Heritage Belles as well. Between dance practice and competition practice, she had quite the schedule to juggle.

“I started in November, right after football season,” Genesis Baze (9) said. “I always practiced from 4:00 to 6:00, then worked on my project from 6:00 to 9:00. There are times where you just don’t want to work on your project, because you know you could be doing other things. Then, you start working on it and get into the groove, and it’s easy to finish.”

Genesis’ hard work paid off, along with Hannah Potter. Both girls placed first in their event. Hannah, who competed in National Programs in Action, was running up against about 30 other teams. Despite the large number, she was able to stand out to the judges.

“Showing that I was passionate about my project and having a personal aspect to it is what got me first place,” Hannah Potter (10) said.

Though Genesis seemed to be racing against time, she figured out a way to have fun during her preparation.

“It’s fun, it’s just really stressful when you have to balance school and extra-curricular activities,” Genesis Baze (9) said. “But the feeling of the whole outcome of it, knowing that I got first place, was worth it.”

All four teams that traveled to Regionals gave it their all. Genesis Baze and Hannah Potter took home first place, Evonne Tomlin placed third, and Brianna Castillo came close to placing. Genesis, Hannah, and Evonne will all be advancing to the State Leadership Conference in April, where they stand the chance of going to Nationals in July.

“My hard work on my project was definitely worth making first place and helping other people,” Hannah Potter (10) said. “Just helping the homeless was good enough for me, but getting first place was icing on the cake.”