Ashley Chidester and Shalese Black Earn Gold Medals at National Leadership FCCLA Conference

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Article taken from the Daily Herald (http://bit.ly/1qLp3m9)

Ashley Chidester and Shalese Black will be attending the National Leadership FCCLA Conference with their cooperative PowerPoint presentation of their plans for their senior trip to Hawaii. Using skills obtained in FCCLA, they planned the trip by comparing prices, researching hotels, airlines, and activities, and utilizing their resources. They budgeted the trip to cost $5,000 each, and though their parents intend to contribute, the girls are both working to earn more than half the necessary funds.

"I teach piano lessons, and in the summers I have a job picking cherries," Black said. "I have almost $1,000 saved already."

Chidester has been earning money via hours and hours of babysitting and hopes to get another job this summer. The decision to vacation in Hawaii had much to do with the heritage of her mother, who is a native of the islands.

"We're really looking forward to going to the Polynesian Cultural Center," Chidester said. "We want to try a kalua pig and see professional hula dancers."

To personalize their experience, Chidester and Black budgeted for surf lessons and a tour of the Dole Pineapple Factory.

Many local students gathered June 18 for a practice session for nationals and to display their hard work for the Family and Consumer Sciences Conference held at the Wilkinson Center at Brigham Young University. Forty students from Utah County will be attending nationals, displaying skills in interior design, quilting, sewing, culinary arts and various service projects.

Chidester and Black attended the session, rehearsing their presentation and answering questions from attendees for nearly four hours. Their detailed and interactive presentation earned a gold medal at their region competition, one that included all of Nebo and Alpine School Districts, and earned a gold medal and first place at the state competition.

First-place winners receive $300 from the state to contribute to the travel expenses for the national competition.

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Update: Ashley Chidester and Shalese Black received the highest ranking possible at nationals in Texas! Gold medals were awarded to both of them for their "Life Event Planning" event in which they competed. Congratulations!

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Full story found at Daily Herald (http://bit.ly/1qLp3m9)

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