Submitted by Rebekka Jay, VP of Membership
Holding a State Officer position has truly been a wild ride, a good one. It has been a wild year for all of us. Through my role in office, I have learned many valuable lessons, as well as gained experience that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. Being a State Officer, there’s a lot to look forward to and you are constantly learning new tips and tricks. Here’s a short recap of my life as a State Officer this last year.
First, things to look forward to as a State Officer. The first thing I always think about when asked about my year is my team. I have loved getting to know each of them, and even though we haven’t been able to get together, we have had a great year talking and laughing on zoom. Another great thing about state office is being able to see all the behind the scenes work. It helps you appreciate all the work past officers have done and it’s fun to see the different ways we are able to help our members. My last favorite part of state office is emails. I know it sounds weird, but it is so fun getting emails from members or advisers that are asking questions or have ideas for us. It’s great getting to connect with the people in FCCLA and it’s always fun to see what is going on throughout the state.
Next, things you didn’t realize when becoming a State Officer. Like I said earlier, it’s fun to see what goes on behind the scenes, but there is a lot of work to do. You will be working with state office things at least once a week, whether it’s answering emails, filming videos, or planning events/giving ideas. This year has definitely been different than most, so there has been a lot more filming than normal and all communication has been through email. I’ve had to make all of my presentations into a virtual format, but it’s been great that we can send these presentations across the state for our members to watch instead of not being able to travel so far away. Another thing I didn’t realize coming into state office was how fast time will go. It is crazy to think that we are only about a month away from our State Leadership Conference.
While this year has been very different to what we are used to, it has surely been one for the books. As a team, I feel we have accomplished so many things even with all of our obstacles and challenges we’ve had to face. Being a State Officer changes many things in your life and allows you to open up and see FCCLA from a new perspective. It is a great opportunity and I highly encourage anyone thinking about running next year to start considering it and see what you can start doing to be prepared! Feel free to reach out with any questions at vpmembership@nebraskafccla.org.