SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - Over 75 of California's top student leaders and teachers from DECA, FBLA, FCCLA, FFA, HOSA and SkillsUSA came together at the Capitol Leadership Experience hosted by the California Department of Education. The three-day event was held in Sacramento and provided Career Technical Student Organization (CTSO) students with a unique opportunity to gain valuable insights about state government and learn from over 20 different legislative and agency officials, capitol staff, and public policy speakers. Those with the opportunity to attend from FCCLA were Aileen Real State President from Centennial high school in Region 10, Milee Bryant State Vice-President from Pleasant Valley high school in Region 2, Emily Burroughs State Secretary from Merced high school in Region 6, Jasmin Suarez State Treasurer from Madera South high school in Region 8, Diana Vasquez State Historian from Madera high school in Region 8, Jordan Thomas State Reporter from the Willows high school in Region 2, and one member Roxanna Becerra from Paramount High School in Region 9.

The Capitol Leadership Experience was designed to help prepare the next generation of California leaders with a head start in public service and to gain a deeper understanding of what it takes to manage and operate one of the most complex systems of government in the world. Through hands-on experiences, legislative visits, forums, and networking meetings at the State Capitol, the students received lessons and training on leadership, governance, state budget, policy development, campaigns, ballot initiatives, communications, advocacy, ethics, diplomacy, and citizenship. The program concluded with a session on preparing for the future opportunities and challenges of leading California (and the world) including areas like impact of artificial intelligence, population increase, natural resource stewardship, economics, equity, and global relations.

"The Capitol Leadership Experience provided students with an unparalleled opportunity to learn from some of the most accomplished leaders in the state," said Cindy Beck, the program manager from the California Department of Education. "We believe that this experience will help these students to become better leaders today and prepare them for a bright future in their chosen fields." Then stated by your California FCCLA State President Aileen Real, “The Capitol Leadership Experience gave me insight on California’s government through a different lens, a lens that I can now view California government and Capitol staff with a sense of leadership and continuous growth.”

For more information about the Capitol Leadership Experience student perspective contact Jordan Thomas, California FCCLA State Reporter, jordanct223@gmail.com. For more information about the Capitol Leadership Experience please visit www.capitol.training. For more information about the California Department of Education and its Career Technical Education programs, please visit at https://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/ct/.