Mount Pulaski's Cady Lowery selected as state officer for FCCLA

[April 24, 2013]  MOUNT PULASKI -- Cady Lowery, a junior at Mount Pulaski High School, has been chosen to represent the Illinois Association of Family, Career and Community Leaders of America as a state officer for the 2013-2014 school year.

The FCCLA state conference was held Thursday-Saturday at the Prairie Capital Convention Center in Springfield.

Lowery was chosen by a panel of judges that included FCCLA advisers as well as delegates selected from each school. Her selection was based on a speech with the theme "Leave Your Mark" and on the ability to answer questions, all in front of a public audience on Friday afternoon. Lowery was installed as a state officer for the executive council at the closing ceremonies on Saturday.

This is Lowery's second year as a member of FCCLA, and she is only the third person in Mount Pulaski FCCLA history to be a state officer. Previous state officers from Mount Pulaski were Katherine Wachter and Alex Mathias.

Lowery's adviser, Wyatt Waterkotte, said: "Cady is an outstanding student who is extremely deserving of this honor. I am incredibly proud of her accomplishments and am certain that she will do an awesome job helping to lead the Illinois State Association this coming year."

Waterkotte in his third year as the FCCLA adviser at Mount Pulaski High School.

The goal of FCCLA is to promote leadership, with the emphasis on family, career and community. Some of the community activities the Mount Pulaski FCCLA coordinates are preparing food and planning games for the annual Volley for the Cure, delivering Valentine's Day cards to the residents of Vonderlieth Living Center, and helping to run two blood drives during the school year.

[By TEENA LOWERY]