Having worked in public education for several years, primarily with the Career and Technical Education (CTE) sector, I am very familiar with Career and Technical Student Organizations (CTSOs), including Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA).

To be more specific, and according to information from the Kentucky Department of Education, “CTSOs are non-profit career-based groups that offer co-curricular resources and opportunities for students in CTE pathways to develop knowledge and skills by participating in activities, events and competitions.”

Speaking from experience, these organizations significantly enhance the educational value of the programs in which these students are enrolled, and they foster strong leadership skills in the students involved.

Nowhere was this more obvious than during a recent interview I conducted with Kendall Slaughter and Sutton Sherrard, both high school seniors from Spencer and Woodford counties, respectively, discussing their time in FCCLA and their thoughts on Career and Technical Education (CTE) in general.

It was immediately apparent that these young people are exceptional in their roles as students, as members of their organization, and as future leaders in whatever walk of life they may choose.

Their latest accomplishment is serving on FCCLA’s National Executive Council, which is comprised of ten youth leaders elected annually at FCCLA’s National Leadership Conference.

They will serve a one-year term as the representative body of FCCLA. The National Executive Council’s primary function is program development, program implementation, and public relations, according to information contained on the National FCCLA website.

Kendall is serving as the National Vice President of Development, said Sutton is the current FCCLA National Vice President of Programs.

Both said a lot of preparation time went into the election process, but the hard work was well worth their efforts.

“We worked very hard prepping for interviews, doing our speeches over and over and over again,” Kendall said, “I like to joke and say that I did my speech to anybody and everybody who would listen. Sutton and I put so much time into this to ensure that we were confident and very, very prepared for the election process and I think that really paid off for us.”

Indeed, it did. Sutton said it was a rigorous process, but she was “super excited” to serve this year with Kendall.

“As you kind of look at the process on paper and it doesn't seem like a lot. It seems like, oh, I can handle an interview and teamwork,” she said. “But when you're really there, and you're in person, you're talking with people, and you're always on. You're always ready to talk to the next person and to do the next thing. It was exhausting but well worth it.”

. Both positions come with a certain amount of advocacy efforts, and it’s something both students embrace.

“Every time we introduce the organization, or career and technical education, we're always sort of backtracking and explaining that we have a modern framework of family and consumer sciences, but many people know that as home ec,” Sutton said. “And so we kind of have to go back and say, we still have those vocational trades programs. They're just under a different name.”

FCCLA changed its name from Future Homemakers of America in 1999 to reflect a broader range of classes and leadership development skills. But CTE in general has changed over the years to encompass more than traditional trade skills.

“Those classes are still around and needed; however, I think just overall, there's kind of this sentiment that CTE is not for all students, that it's just specifically for those students that don't want to go to college, or want to pursue a trade,” Sutton said. “But they just have a different life path, and CTE is for everyone.”

Kendall said CTE courses and the sequence of courses prepare students for any post-secondary opportunity that they choose to pursue.

“Whatever that is, these strong CTE courses and CTSOs in Kentucky are preparing students to be able to go straight into the workforce or through these classes, they’re able to gain dual credit, college credit, or have industry-recognized certifications,” she said. “You can gain opportunities through work-based learning and gain experience before you actually pursue any post-secondary opportunities.”

In serving at this level of the organization, both Kendall and Sutton find themselves very busy, something they both enjoy.

Kendall has served FCCLA at every level, including roles as Kentucky FCCLA State Vice President of Finance, Regional and Chapter Officer, and member of the Kentucky FCCLA Advisory Board. She also serves as Senior Class Treasurer and is an active member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Beta Club.

Sutton has served as Kentucky FCCLA State President and has contributed to both national and state-level committees, helping guide program development and member engagement. She is involved in the National Honor Society, Beta Club, and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and serves on her school district’s outreach team.

And these are just a few of the many activities and programs in which these young people are involved. But in discussing their current roles in FCCLA and their dedication to promoting CTE, I could see how committed they are to this organization, which in turn leads them to be true educational role models.

Kendall spoke of a quote from Pablo Picasso that inspires her every day.

"The meaning of life is to find your gifts, and the purpose of life is to give those gifts away," she said. “I always say, one act of kindness is going to inspire another, whether that's within school or that's in your professional life or whatever that might be. Soak up every single opportunity because time is so, so valuable and you never get that back.”

Sutton has words of encouragement reflecting on when her time in FCCLA began.

“Countless connections and endless opportunities,” she said. “That's something I started saying when I began my time in FCCLA serving as a state officer, but it rings so true. Make the connections, take hold of the opportunities because ultimately it will create lasting impact. And whether that's within FCCLA, that's within your church, that's within your community, those connections and opportunities will serve you long beyond the years that you can see right now.”

Ashleigh VanHoose, Kentucky FCCLA State Adviser said Kendall and Sutton, both former state officers, perfectly illustrate why this work matters.

“FCCLA provides more than leadership training; it gives students the confidence, tools, and platform to drive meaningful change,” she said. “Both possess true servant hearts, and I am incredibly proud of their progress. Only a few months into their terms, they have already made significant strides—I cannot wait to see what they accomplish next!”

As I finished the conversation with Kendall and Sutton, I couldn’t help but be truly inspired by these two young people, knowing what a difference in the world they are already making and what life has for them in the future. I encourage our readers to click on the QR code included here to listen to the entire podcast. I know you will be truly inspired, as well.