OFHS FCCLA Students Take Top Honors at Regional Competition

Congratulations to Seniors Jimena Flores and Amanda Hults, both of whom took top honors at the Regional FCCLA Competition, held at Tinley Park High School.
Amanda Hults won 1st place in Fondant Cake Decorating. To practice for the event, she made many cakes featuring fondant frosting. She also said, “Leading up to the competition, I practiced working with fondant and sculpting figures for the cake.” Her cake was a Disney themed cake and the little sculptures were sculptures that were reminiscent of characters that could be found around the park.
Hults likes making cakes for herself and family, and even remembers making her own birthday cakes as a child. She said, “It’s something I enjoy doing as a new hobby but not necessarily pursuing it as a career.” After seeing the cake that Hults made, potential customers may mourn that they would not be able to purchase an original cake that she has made.
Hults said, “I am so excited to represent the Oak Forest Bengals at State!” She will do a terrific job!
Her teammate, Jimena Flores, won 1st place in the Creation of a Preschool Lesson plan. Then she had to present a lesson to 3-5 year-olds in front of judges (3-5 year-olds were not present for the lesson.)
Flores worked hard practicing for her part of the competition. She said, ddd“I would practice for competition during my 7th period with Mrs.Blair in her office, then later in the day at my house I would record myself doing the presentation as well. Recording myself helped me a lot, and it made me realize how I should say certain things and to use more verbal encouragers [with my students].”
This event matches up with her formal career, Flores said because “I enjoy being around children. Either of my choices [of career] are a NICU nurse or a pre-school/kindergarten teacher.”
Although Flores did not work directly with preschool children during the Covid lockdown, She feels like she got lots of practice in her sophomore year and now in her senior year. She said, “My only experience before this competition with childcare lessons is taking Childcare I my sophomore and junior year. I did not have any preschoolers my junior year due to COVID and remote learning but I do now in Childcare II.”
FCCLA stands for Family, Career and Community Leaders of America and OFHS has a longstanding tradition of excellence in their FCCLA program, led by OFHS teacher Kristina Blair.