FCCLA Attends Mind Bending Careers Conference
Launch the media gallery 1 playerFive FCCLA members attended the Mind Bending Careers Conference Monday, November 7, at the University of Kearney. The conference was co-hosted by Nebraska Career and Technical Student Organizations FCCLA and HOSA and supported by the Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska (BHECN). Attending from Plainview were Marque Albin, Baili Prewitt, Brooke Forbes, Shayla Jacobsen, and Kaydance Maertins along with FCCLA Adviser Ronita Jacobsen.
During the Opening Session, a welcome was given by HOSA and FCCLA State Officers and the UNK Admissions Office. Dr. Krista Fritson, UNK Team Psychologist and professor spoke on the difference between Mental and Behavioral Health.
Members then rotated through a variety of sessions. The first session was “A Career in Social Work” presented by Keanna from the SAFE Center in Kearney. This session provided members with an inside look at a career in social work through the lens of aa professional serving victims of dating violence, domestic violence, human trafficking, sexual assault, and stalking.
Next members attended the “Sports Psychology” presented by Dr. Krista Fritson who is the UNK Team Psychologist. She spoke on what exactly Sports Psychology is and how to get started in this career path. She explained different educational and career path options within field of Sports Psychology. She spoke on how aa path in psychology can lead to working with athletes to help them achieve optimal well-being and performance. She gave examples of how she works with teams on achieving peak performance, conflict resolution, and team building. “This was an amazing session,” stated Shayla Jacobsen. “She took us through breathing and visualization exercises and explained how they work on the mind and body. After listening to the examples of what she does with the teams, I think that even high school teams could benefit from having a sports psychologist on staff.”
“Learning & Behavior Meet: Behavior Analysis” was the final session members attended. Sara Kuhl and Abree Taillon, both from the Spectrum Center for Autism in Kearney, helped members gain more insight into the role of a Behavior Analyst and how pursuing a career in this field can provide an opportunity to help people of all ages. Members were able to learn more about how behavior analysis is used to support children with autism and their families. They also described career paths and educational requirements with this field.
The conference concluded with a session where students were broken into groups and reflected on their learning. They also shared how they can take the knowledge they learned back to their schools and community.
Following the conference, members had the opportunity to tour the Kearney Division of the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Members were able to step into actual classrooms filled with technology for learning along with a variety of clinical teaching labs, clinical simulation rooms, and gross anatomy labs. They discovered the variety of medical fields and degrees that can be earned here.
Jacobsen stated about the conference, “This was an excellent conference for students to attend. Not only did they gain information about mental health issues and the importance of mental health, but they also learned about a variety of careers involved in mental health. Programs and pathways to Licensed Behaviors Health Careers offered within our state colleges and universities were outlined for them.”