Tioga FCCLA earned recognition and brought home medals and memories from the 2026 National Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C. this summer.
Emily Ballinger, Lacie Gray, Gabby Cuellar and Jimmy Hendricks all placed among the nation’s best, showing the dedication of the Tioga FCCLA chapter/program and making them proud.
Ballinger and Gray were awarded gold medals for placing in the top 10 teams in their event, while Cuellar also secured a
gold medal and won 4th place in Promote & Publicize Level 3.
Hendricks earned 11th place in Instructional Video Design Level 2, bringing home a silver medal and finishing among the top 20 competitors nationwide.
Beyond the conference events, the students were able to explore the nation’s capital, sight-seeing and exploring different landmarks such as the Smithsonian Museums, the National Zoo and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
The students also engaged in the beloved FCCLA pin trading tradition at the National Leadership Conference, exchanging pins with students from all over the country.
Tioga FCCLA advisor Christi Crowe shared that the pin trading was so popular that an airport employee was proudly wearing pins from other FCCLA teams in different states when they were heading home. The students made sure to give him some of their unique Texas sparkly cowboy boot pins.
As they returned home, they brought back a deeper commitment to service, creativity and leadership. Their time in Washington, D.C. left them with fun memories, exciting stories and achievements that will shine long after the conference.
