Hey hey hey Missouri FCCLA! The National Leadership Conference is in less than a week and I’m sure many of you, like me, are ecstatic about spending the next week in Seattle, Washington. Whether you’re excited about competing, traveling to the West Coast, meeting new people, watching national elections, or being in the home of the show Grey’s Anatomy, you can’t deny that the next week is going to be a blast for everyone involved.
One thing that you should know about Seattle is that the scenery surrounding the city is absolutely stunning. Between the expanse of water, the mountains, and the gorgeous skyline, you’re never not seeing something aesthetically pleasing. The Emerald City earned its nickname because it is surrounded by greenery all throughout the year, including the winter, which is another reason this city is so beautiful. Seattle is also the birthplace of Starbucks! So for those of you who love a delicious Starbucks coffee or some baked goods, like me and many of the other Missouri State Executive Council (SEC) and their Advisers, add “visit the first Starbucks” to your Seattle checklist!
When seeing the sights of Seattle, here are five places I think are must-sees on this trip. First and foremost, the Space Needle, built in 1962 for the World’s fair and standing at 605 feet tall, is probably the most iconic and memorable thing about Seattle. The Needle brought in over 2.3 million tourists to that year’s fair. The next place is Pike Place Market. It is the city’s original farmers market and sells some of the best foods you’ve ever tasted in your life, or so I’ve been told. Guess we’ll have to find out for ourselves!
Tourist attraction number three: the Museum of Pop Culture, also known as MoPOP. This museum was founded in 2000 by the co-founder of Microsoft, Paul Allen. MoPOP houses everything from iconic movie scenes and costumes, and the outfits of music artists to a tower of all kinds of guitars. Fourth stop: the Seattle Aquarium! The aquarium’s exhibits include river otters, coastal birds, a giant Pacific octopus, sharks, and other marine mammals like seals and/or sea lions. And lastly, tourist stop number five: Chihuly Garden and Glass. This attraction can be found right next to the Space Needle, so hit it up as you leave the Needle. Chihuly was established in May of 2012 to display the alluring glass workings of Dale Chihuly. One of my close friends visited Seattle last November and she went there. Since finding out I was going to Seattle, she has not stopped telling me, “Go to the Glass Gardens, Audree. You have to go.” So, to the Glass Gardens I go!
Other than touring the city of Seattle itself, there are other exciting things happening this week that are, of course, FCCLA related. First of all, members from all over the country are coming to compete in STAR Events. How exciting is that? To be able to gather in one city with FCCLA members from all over the United States and compete, but also make friends and memories to last a lifetime? I know that I’m definitely looking forward to all that is going to take place in the next couple of days. And to those of you competing this week: the Missouri SEC wishes you the best of luck! Represent Missouri well. You’ve got this!!!
This week, we also have the election process for the new National Executive Council. As we say goodbye to our current Council, we also say hello to the newcomers, one of which could be Missouri’s very own Sofia Eleazarraraz. After serving as Missouri’s State President for the 2023-24 school year, Sofia decided to run for national office! So remember that one of our own could be up there. Woop woop!
See you all in Seattle, and like I said before, represent Missouri well at the National Leadership Conference. Be kind, be caring, and just have fun!
Audree Proffitt
Vice President of Scholarship
