Two LT Students Win Top Awards at FCCLA Nationals

With a speech supporting school uniforms over casual wear, two recent Lyons Township High School graduates claimed the top award—a gold medal—in the “Illustrated Talk” category at the recent Family Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) finals in Anaheim, CA.

The team of Carlyn Witt (La Grange) and Raymond Sobczak (Countryside) presented the detailed 10-minute presentation at the national event, the culmination of victories at three previous events at lower levels, including a victory at the Illinois state championship.

“It was a very nail-biting experience, I guess,” said Sobczak. “[But] it was actually very fun. I’m one of those people that I like talking in front of people anyway—as soon as I started talking I felt much better and much more comfortable about the entire situation.”

Sobczak was in his second year of FCCLA competition, while Witt actually won a statewide gold medal in the “Preschool Storytelling” event last year, only to find out that the event was not available at nationals. Hedging her bets that she could win again in a similar category, she picked up Sobczak as a partner after her statewide partner, Vanessa DaSilva, was unavailable the national event.

The new team worked out just fine.

At the national FCCLA competition, which featured almost 5,000 competitors from 50 states and two territories competing in 24 different events, Witt and Sobczak also had the opportunity to mingle with fellow talented youth and attend panels and educational events.

“I gained many skills that will help me out in college next year, including feeling comfortable with talking to complete strangers,” Witt wrote in an e-mail. “It was so fascinating meeting so many new people and how there lives are so different from ours!

“You feel a connection with so many people there because, as one of our national officers said ‘you all made it here because you have a talent that makes you special and that separates you from the rest.’”

The team was inspired and sponsored by LTHS teacher Kate Ebner; both Witt and Sobczak gave her credit for their success.