The Melissa High School Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) Chapter proudly celebrates 11 students who have qualified for the FCCLA State Conference following their incredible performances at the Regional Conference on Feb. 5-7, 2026, in Waco. Students in FCCLA are tasked with completing projects and taking FCCLA assessments to test their unique skills.
FCCLA Students Qualifying for State:
Fashion Construction - Level 2
Mia Jones
Fashion Construction - Level 3
Sarah DeHoog
Nutrition & Wellness - Level 2
Olivia Josey
Repurpose & Redesign - Level 3 (Team)
Liza Cox
Ava Hargis
Emily Madonna
Cia Elsa Lawson-Dotson
Texas Toy Design - Level 2 (Team)
Obaye Isah
Sara Kabugu
Leslie Mwangi
Texas Toy Design - Level 3 (Team)
Kaitlyn Keo
Navya Patil
“I am incredibly proud of our FCCLA students,” head program sponsor Amy Klein said. “This is an amazing group of individuals who demonstrated creativity, leadership, and dedication throughout the competition process. Their hard work truly paid off, and we are excited to see them represent our school at the state level.”
In addition to the students who advanced to State, the MHS FCCLA Chapter would like to spotlight two students whose work was praised by judges at the conference. Kinsley Essary and Michelle Grant competed in the Fashion Design category for their third consecutive year. This year, the category was extremely competitive, but these two Cardinals represented our school with exceptional professionalism and creativity.
Their project focused on creating high-end, size-inclusive pajamas for men, women, and children, with a mission-based model designed to help fund pajama donations to homeless shelters and individuals in need. The judges praised their work, noting:
“The concept is a much-needed project for any community.”
“The garment was excellent in every way — fabric, construction, and design.”
“Their mission-based story was well thought out, and the overall quality and detail of the project exceeded expectations.”
FCCLA is a premier student organization that promotes leadership, career readiness, and community service through Family and Consumer Sciences education. Members compete at regional, state, and national levels in areas such as culinary arts, fashion design, public speaking, and community service, gaining invaluable real-world experience and teamwork skills.
The State Conference will be held April 9-11 at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel.
A special thank you to the program sponsors Amy Klein, Shanna Hobbs, Annika Harmsen, and Catherine Harris for their dedication to helping these students succeed, alongside Career and Technical Education director Hallie Venner.
Congratulations to the FCCLA team for their remarkable achievement!