Tonganoxie High School junior Rachel Bouza, who has been state FCCLA president for the past year, was nominated to run for a national office.

And two project teams that took first place at state qualified for national competition. Students on the teams are Jared Lamb and A.J. DeMaranville for their power point display on landscaping, and Alex Kissinger and Emily Hughes for their project on interpersonal communications.

The national convention will be held July 2-6 in San Diego.

Tonganoxie FCCLA sponsor Pam Lamb said she was impressed that the three-day convention last week in Wichita, was planned in large part by Bouza, as well as by THS sophomore Sara Herdman, who was the state’s FCCLA vice president.

THS principal honored

At the convention, THS senior Lindsey Starcher received a $500 scholarship, and THS principal Tatia Shelton was honored as FCCLA administrator of the year for Kansas. Shelton, who attended the convention, received a plaque.

“She (Shelton) has given us so much support this year for FCCLA and all the projects and meetings and activities that we’ve had to do,” Lamb said. “Whatever we needed to do, she was all for it. She gave us a lot of support.”

Lamb, who has been Tonganoxie’s FCCLA sponsor for 28 years, said Heather DeMaranville is the assistant sponsor. According to Lamb, 96 THS students belong to FCCLA, and about 56 students attended the state convention.

Lamb said 52 Tonganoxie FCCLA members qualified for state competition in 18 events. THS students received four gold awards, nine silver awards and five bronze awards.

Some of the STAR events (contests) were entrepreneurship, job interview parliamentary procedure, illustrated talk, chapter service projects, chapter showcase and national programs in action.

Though in the past Tonganoxie has had team projects qualify for national convention, this is the first year the school has had a student nominated to run for a national FCCLA office.

Lamb praised Rachel for her work as state president.

“She worked so hard, she did a great job,” Lamb said.

Rachel Bouza said qualifying to run for a national office in FCCLA has been a longtime goal.

“One of my biggest aspirations was to be able to run for national office,” Rachel said. “Getting the support of the state made me more confident in myself in that people believe I can do it.”

If elected, Rachel wants to help Kansas FCCLA become better known. And she wants to encourage more student involvement in FCCLA.

“I just hope I’m able to represent the state well at the national level,” Rachel added.

Rachel’s parents, Ginger and Larry Bouza, and their son, Andrew, are planning to attend the national convention.

Ginger Bouza said the family moved to Tonganoxie from Lawrence.

“I tell people we moved to Tonganoxie because of the opportunities that she (Rachel) wouldn’t have had at a larger school,” Bouza said, laughing. “That has backfired — we never see her.”

Bouza said Rachel leaves home at 5:45 a.m. for drill team practice and gets back home at about 9 p.m., after a full day of school topped by dance lessons.

“FCCLA is just one of her many activities,” Bouza said. “There is that theory that if your children are busy they won’t do drugs and stuff, so that’s what we’re going for — and she tells me she’s happiest when she’s busy.”