Eighth-grader picked for state board

Katie Humphrey might be just a middle school pupil to some, but to Lakeside Middle School faculty and staff, she is a girl to be reckoned with.

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The eighth-grader recently was elected as the Georgia Family, Career and Community Leaders of America middle level state officer for the 2008-09 school year.

Katie will serve as the lone middle school pupil on the statewide board and plans to focus on increasing membership of FCCLA -- formerly home economics -- at the middle school level.

"It is a great representation for Lakeside Middle," said Nicole Ruge, FCCLA adviser at the school and regional FCCLA adviser. "To have a student on the board lets people know that we have great kids and this is what they are capable of doing."

Katie had to undergo a four-part application process before being elected. It's unknown how many other pupils applied for the position.

"We are so proud of Katie and her accomplishment," Ruge said.

Katie already has established her first order of business in her new capacity.

"I want to get some of the community service projects started because they are all important," she said.

Among those community service projects is "Go Green with Lakeside," an effort to increase awareness of recycling and other environment-related projects. The Lakeside Middle FCCLA is collecting twist-off bottle tops, which are not recyclable, to use for an art project.

The tops will be used to make an American flag for the school's annual Veteran's Day program.

The school also is seeking donations of jeans or monetary donations to purchase material that will be used to make lap quilts for U.S. soldiers.

"We want to support our troops," said Katie, the daughter of Kimberly Humphrey and John Humphrey, both of Martinez.

The club also is working to collect items for care packages to be sent to U.S. servicemen and women overseas.

"Before it became FCCLA, Future Homemakers of America concentrated on staying home and taking care of families," Ruge said.

Today, FCCLA pupils learn about career opportunities, community service projects, leadership programs and food and nutrition.

"A lot of what we do now is about leadership," Ruge said. "FCCLA is the only international student organization that is student-led and has family as the central focus.

"We need these kids to realize and remember that families are important," she said.