Wayne State College junior Harleigh Claussen of O’Neill is one of 10 students from across the United States selected as an ambassador for the Association for Career and Technical Education’s (ACTE) Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) Division.
This is the inaugural year for the FSC Ambassador Program, and Claussen will serve during the 2024-25 academic year.
“Harleigh has shown a lot of passion and dedication to her future career field, and I am very excited to support her in her work as an FCS ambassador,” said Carol Erwin, associate professor of family and consumer sciences at Wayne State. “She’s not afraid of taking on large tasks and working to make things better. Harleigh has some great ideas and plans that will benefit our program here at Wayne State and the overall field of FCS education. This will be a great opportunity for her to connect with other future FCS educators and current FCS educators from across the nation, as well as get some real-world experience in advocacy.”
The FCS Ambassador Program engages junior and senior college students currently seeking a degree in Family and Consumer Sciences Education as ambassadors. It aims to equip them with the necessary skills, knowledge, and resources to advocate for, elevate the importance of, and recruit students to become FCS educators.
Ambassadors will connect with middle and high school students in FCS programs across the United States, as well as students on their home campuses, to spread the word about becoming a FCS teacher at the secondary level.
“I am honored to be chosen as an FCS ambassador for the ACTE,” said Claussen, who is majoring in Family and Consumer Science Occupational Education at Wayne State. “FCS is particularly meaningful to me, as I believe it plays a crucial role in equipping students and adults to handle the complex challenge of our ever-changing world. I am eager to connect with like-minded students nationwide and to advocate for and expand our Family and Counsumer Science Department at Wayne State College.”
At Wayne State, Claussen is president of the Association of Family and Consumer Sciences Professionals (AFCSP) student chapter.
Claussen was also on the student team that won first place in a national video and digital poster contest during the Spring 2024 semester. The purpose of the contest was to create an original video or poster to deliver information about the value and impact of family and consumer sciences education for individuals, schools, and/or communities. The Wayne State students won first place for their public service announcement video.
Claussen, a 2022 graduate of O’Neill Junior/Senior High School, is the daughter of Anne Claussen.
