From presenting prepared projects to competing in case studies, Edison High students made their presence known at this year’s Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) New Jersey State Leadership Conference. Held at the DoubleTree Hilton hotel in Cherry Hill, the conference brought together some of the state’s most driven students, and EHS’s Eagles rose to the challenge as they showcased excellence across both state and Students Taking Action with Recognition (STAR) events.
State events enabled members to develop essential lifelong skills, including character development, creative and critical thinking, and interpersonal communication. EHS students applied their knowledge in real-world scenarios by competing in events including Civic Engagement, Reinventing Spaces, and International Food.
STAR events provided students with the opportunity to advance to the National Leadership Conference (NLC). These events are designed to highlight student proficiency in leadership and project management, with top competitors in each category qualifying for nationals.
The EHS chapter achieved success, with 42 projects receiving awards. In total, 33 earned gold level, seven earned silver, and two earned bronze. Additionally, the school also secured six first-place finishes, fifteen second-place, and eight third-place; this resulted in over 70% of the chapter’s projects placing in the top three.
One student who has particularly excelled is Hasini Vummaji ‘27. After winning first place in Event Management at NLC last year as a sophomore, she returned this year to compete in the Leadership STAR event. For this event, Vummaj evaluated her leadership within the community by analyzing her extracurricular involvement and seeking recommendations from mentors. As part of her event, she had to read a book, and Vummaji chose Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek, using its principles to reflect on her leadership and outline a plan for further development.
Another student who left an impact on their community is Shreya Kuberan ‘27, who competed in Professional Presentation, Level 3. For her competitive event, Kuberan created Language of Confidence, an organization dedicated to addressing a key gap within ESL education. While many programs focus on grammar and speaking, they often overlook nonverbal communication and social and emotional learning (SEL) skills.
To bridge this gap, she designed and led interactive workshops for over 30 ESL students across elementary and middle schools in the Edison Township district. These sessions incorporated structured presentations and hands-on activities such as charades, group games, and creative exercises to teach body language, posture, and self-expression.
“Language is more than just words; it is about how you carry yourself and connect with others,” said Kuberan. “I wanted students to feel confident expressing who they are, even if they’re still learning the language.”
Through her initiative, Kuberan helped students build confidence and communicate more effectively while reinforcing the idea that communication extends beyond words. Additionally, she and her partner, Hamsini Koganti ‘27, placed 2nd with a gold medal in their event, gaining recognition for their dedication to improving their community.
Edison High students also put in their best effort for the FCCLA Fashion Show, where students had the chance to showcase their creations as they walked on the runway. Janisha Santosh Kumar ‘28 earned first place in Fashion Construction, with numerous other students demonstrating creativity and strong presentation skills in the Fashion Runway event.
In addition to individual and team achievements, Edison High FCCLA was recognized with the Red Rose Chapter Award for its commitment to member development and community service.
However, the trip was not just about competing; students also had the opportunity to engage with a variety of workshops centered on leadership in the real world. They were able to network with the US Coast Guard, business owners, and dozens of other professionals through sixteen diverse workshops.
“The workshops were honestly very interesting as they were so diverse,” said Tanvi Bhandary ‘29. “I attended two workshops, one of them being making pasta, and the other with the speaker being a professor from Berkeley College, and I learned a lot from both of them, and it was really fun.”
Additionally, the students participated in FCCLA’s Fun Night, where they had several entertainment options, including karaoke, a movie, and board games. After competing, students could spend time with their friends, relieve themselves of the stress that came with competing, and celebrate their accomplishments.
However, their journey is not over just yet. Qualifying students will make their way to Washington, D.C., from July 5th to 10th, where they will continue to represent Edison High and New Jersey at NLC.
“Seeing everyone’s projects and creativity is always my favorite part of the conference every year, as it shows how much students can accomplish,” said advisor Ms. Meghan Reeves.
State Medalists:
Ami Aji ‘29, Siona Jain ‘29 – International Food; 1st place gold Fotima Alieva ‘27 – Civic Engagement; 2nd place gold
Pragya Bhatia ‘26 – Yarn Art; 2nd place gold
Bhavya Nuthangi ‘27, Gauri Girdhar ‘27 – Reinventing Spaces; 3rd place silver
Amaryllis Ramos ‘27 – Fashion Runway – Eveningwear; Gold medal
Kallyn Saavedra Lopez ‘26 – Fashion Runway – Eveningwear; Gold medal
Ashlynne Gordon ‘26, Jenely Ciprian ‘26 – Clever Cookie (for a Cause); Silver medal
Thalia Little ‘26 – Fashion Runway – Eveningwear; Silver medal
STAR Medalists and NLC Qualifiers:
Janisha Santosh Kumar ‘28 – Fashion Construction; 1st place gold**
Arya Krishnan ‘27, Yashvi Mangrolia ‘27 – Interpersonal Communications; 1st place gold**
Hasini Vummaji ‘27 – Leadership; 1st place gold**
Olivia Chen ‘29, Lakshmi Koganti ‘29 – Professional Presentation; 1st place gold**
Ashita Mall ‘28, Mihika Date ‘28, Jia Desai ‘28 – Sports Nutrition; 1st place gold**
Nishchal Talugala ‘27, Pranav Shankar ‘27, Sameth Sitaram ‘27 – Entrepreneurship; 2nd place gold**
Kavya Konduru ‘29, Amber Ramnarine ‘29, Misri Kansara ‘29 – Focus on Children; 2nd place silver**
Diya Kundani ‘29, Shreeya Mehta ‘29- Food Innovations; 2nd place gold**
Tejas Patel ‘27, Aayush Gupta ‘27 – Hospitality, Tourism, and Recreation; 2nd place gold**
Diksha Dinesh Kumar ‘27 – Job Interview; 2nd place gold**
Aarav Patel ‘28, Daniel Sutinko ‘28, Ayan Patel ‘28 – Nutrition and Wellness; 2nd place gold**
Diya Bhanderi ‘29, Tanvi Bhandary ‘29 – Professional Presentation; 2nd place gold**
Hamsini Koganti ‘27, Shreya Kuberan ‘27 – Professional Presentation; 2nd place gold**
Kavan Malaviya ‘27, Eshan Jhaveri ‘27, Yashasvi Kompella ‘27 – Public Policy Advocate; 2nd place gold**
Pratul Hanharen Palpandi ‘28, Aryen Ananda ‘28, Nimit Patel ‘28 – Sports Nutrition; 2nd place gold**
Sanya Sheth ‘29, Akshara Shankar ‘29 – Sustainability Challenge; 2nd place gold**
Tisha Khatri ‘27 – Teaching Strategies; 2nd place gold**
Adam Abdelsalam ‘28, Rayan Pervaiz ‘27 – Interior Design; 2nd place gold**
Sai Varshini Narindi ‘27, Harshithasri Lekha Vengates Kumar ‘27, Nishtha Patel ‘27 – Focus on Children; 3rd place gold**
Tanush Kandpal ‘27, Seshanth Shyamsundar ‘27, Akshat Dubey ‘27 – Hospitality, Tourism, and Recreation; 3rd place gold
Shreya Patel ‘27 – Job Interview; 3rd place gold**
Aarthav Arora ‘28, Arnav Balakrishnan ‘28, Dhruv Patel ‘28 – Nutrition and Wellness; 3rd place gold
Lohith Aaditya Pandurahgan ‘27, Pranav Prabaharan ‘27, Jignesh Pasumarthi ‘27 – Nutrition and Wellness; 3rd place silver
Diya Prajapati ‘27, Hasini Satish ‘27, Tvisha Sriraman ‘27 – Sustainability Challenge; 3rd place gold**
Solai Ramasubramaniyam ‘27 – Teaching Strategies; 3rd place gold
Fotima Alieva ‘27 – Fashion Construction; Gold Medal
Sai Shantanu Sivakumaran ‘28, Tvisha Agrawal ‘28, Dev Sanghvi ‘28 – Entrepreneurship; Gold Medal Arpita Singh ‘27, Sai Mahima Jaishankar ‘27, Vaishnavi Bhatt ‘27 – Focus on Children; Gold Medal
Yashaswini Repaka ‘27, Irene Choe ‘27 – Focus on Children; Gold Medal
Rachel Kou ‘27 – Public Policy Advocate; Gold Medal
Siddhi Dongre ‘27, Rishitha Jambula ‘27, Rithika Gunasekaran ‘27 – Focus on Children; Silver Medal
Arni Shashi ‘27, Eesha Gorantala ‘27 – Hospitality, Tourism and Recreation; Silver Medal
Jeron Joy ‘28, Frevin Silva ‘28 – Sports Nutrition; Silver Medal
Youseff Abdelsalam ‘27, Abdullah Mustensir ‘27 – Sports Nutrition; Bronze Medal
NOTE: “**” denotes NLC Qualifier
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The ballroom where the Grand Awards Ceremony took place, with Service Ambassadors currently being announced.
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EHS FCCLA members participating in a karaoke activity to develop confidence and camaraderie while having fun.
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EHS FCCLA members enjoying Fun Night as they play cards with each other. The event is a part of the conference each year.
COURTESY OF RISHITA JAMBULA '27
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Fotima Alieva ’27 showcasing her Member of the Year award after having contributed significantly to the EHS FCCLA chapter.
