Admiral Richard E. Byrd Middle student wins national FCCLA award

Grayson Henry competed this summer at a national FCCLA competition in Denver, where he won a silver medal for a robot piggy bank he created from repurposed materials.

Grayson Henry has known about Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) for most of his life.

His mother, a teacher at Admiral Richard E. Byrd Middle School, has been an FCCLA advisor for years, making the organization's mission and events a large part of their household.

"He's grown up with it, even though he wasn't eligible to become a member until he was in sixth grade," said Becky Sue Henry, Grayson Henry's mother.

Now a rising eighth grader, Grayson Henry has excelled during his FCCLA journey. This summer, he competed at the national competition in Denver and won a silver medal. He's the first Admiral Byrd student to qualify and be recognized at the national level.

FCCLA is a national nonprofit organization that aims to instill leadership and career skills in students through grade 12. Schools around the nation have FCCLA chapters which provide programs, contests, scholarships and other opportunities to involved students. FCCLA operates in conjunction with schools that offer Family and Consumer Sciences curriculum, and also places an emphasis on work-based learning to help students on the path to career readiness.

Grayson Henry decided to compete in the Re-purpose and Re-design category at the national conference. This was one of FCCLA's STAR events, which stands for Students Taking Action with Recognition. According to a press release about Henry's participation, more than 4,300 FCCLA members competed in these events at this year's conference.

For his project, Grayson Henry created a robot piggy bank out of recycled materials like old plastic and wood, which he now uses to save his money.

"Re-purpose and re-design is ... where you can take old things that would easily be thrown in the trash can and go into a landfill. You take those things, and re-purpose and re-design them so that it can be used instead of filling up our landfills and hurting our planet," said Becky Sue Henry.

The project was titled "Be the CHANGE. Recycle. SAVE the Future." Grayson Henry was awarded a silver medal in his category for his efforts. Medals are awarded based on how many points the judges give each project.

Becky Sue Henry explained that recycling and sustainability are present within their home, which contributed to her son's interest in competing in this category. She said her son has made functional items out of recycled materials before. Last year, he constructed hanging flower pots using old wood and glass bottles.

"It's something we're interested in, helping to save the environment, save out planet," said Becky Sue Henry.

In a written statement, Grayson Henry said he gained lots of leadership skills at the national conference, and got to meet people from all over the United States. His mother agreed, adding that through FCCLA, he's gotten to travel all over and make strong connections.

Becky Sue Henry said that she plans on continuing her own FCCLA role in the years to come.

"As long as I'm a school teacher in Frederick County, or anywhere else I may end up in the future, I intend to be an FCCLA advisor," she said.

For more information about FCCLA at Admiral Byrd Middle School, contact Becky Sue Henry at [email protected].

— Contact Molly Williams at [email protected]

Congratulations, Grayson! You’ve proven that FACS (home economics) isn’t just for girls, isn’t just cooking and sewing, AND that it brings together all your other subjects in real world scenarios. Great job!

Congratulations, Grayson! We are so proud of you! Frederick County is blessed to have so many bright and talented students like you!

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