Windsor High FCCLA Students Earn National Honors at Leadership Conference

Six Windsor High School students earned top national honors after showcasing innovative projects in business, food science, leadership, and fashion at the FCCLA National Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C.

WINDSOR, Colo. – Six Windsor High School students earned national recognition at the 2026 Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) National Leadership Conference, held July 6–10 in Washington, D.C., after showcasing projects in business, food innovation, leadership, and fashion design.

The Windsor High School FCCLA chapter joined thousands of students, advisers, and guests from across the United States, Puerto Rico, and American Samoa for the annual conference, which focuses on leadership development, career exploration, competition, service, and networking.

Students competed in FCCLA Competitive Events, applying skills learned through Family and Consumer Sciences education to real-world challenges. Windsor High students receiving national recognition included:

Lyla Bumford and Sonia Miller – Level 3 Hospitality, Tourism, and Recreation: Second-place finalists (Top 10), Gold. The pair developed “Everything But The Ring,” a hypothetical wedding planning business complete with market research, branding, website design, pricing, marketing, and customer service strategies.

Grady Whalen and Lucas Penn – Level 3 Food Innovations: Fourth-place finalists (Top 10), Gold. Their project, “BioBloom,” proposed a smoothie-inspired nutritional snack using locally sourced ingredients, complete with product development, packaging, sourcing, and pricing plans.

Payton Johnson – Level 3 Leadership: Silver. Johnson’s project centered on Dare to Lead by Brené Brown, connecting leadership concepts from the book to personal experiences in band, choir, and the Teacher Cadet program through reflection and self-assessment.

Alice Chester – Level 2 Fashion Design: Silver. Chester created “Leny Layne,” a sustainable clothing concept for young women that included trend research, branding, pattern development, and construction of a denim dress.

Jessica Teal, Windsor High School Family and Consumer Sciences teacher and head FCCLA adviser, praised the students’ accomplishments.

“I am thrilled at how exceptionally Windsor High School FCCLA represented our school and district at the National Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C. Every stage of their projects reflected remarkable growth, passion, and determination. Watching these students develop their skills, showcase their hard work, and achieve success on the national stage is the greatest joy.”

FCCLA is a national Career and Technical Student Organization for students enrolled in Family and Consumer Sciences education. The organization helps students develop leadership, technical, communication, collaboration, workplace readiness, and problem-solving skills while preparing for careers that support families, industries, and communities.

For more information, email engage@weldre4.org.

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