California FHA-HERO gets a new president

Hayley Taggart, senior, has been elected as the president of the FHA-HERO program in the state of California.
The program, which boasts over 5,000 students statewide, is a career technical student organization that aims to prepare participants for future careers in hospitality and food services.

Taggart was led to join the program primarily because of “the fantastic opportunities, education, and atmosphere where everybody is giving one-hundred-percent,”she said.
According to Taggart, FHA-HERO primarily focuses on leadership training and hospitality education, and students are able to join as early as middle school, though most are in high school.
Taggart’s role entails representing California’s FHA-HERO program at an annual national conference, and at several other significant gatherings. The role has evoked much pride from those involved in the program, including Leigh Ann Diffenderfer, teacher and FHA-HERO advisor.
“She’s an incredible student leader, she has an amazing energy, she works very hard, she’s very smart, very focused,” Diffenderfer said. “She has a real talent for having a vision of what an organization should be doing, and then encouraging and leading people to do it.”
Taggart’s position has not only involved improving the activities of those in the state program, but also students here on campus.
“I think it’s much more fun (now),” said Kienna Herron, region secretary and Chapter vice president. “We’re having a Disney day.”
Taggart has decided to pursue becoming a Home Economics Careers and Technology Teacher to share her love for homemaking and home economics, which is what is prominently taught in the program.
“What if she taught here at Newbury Park one day, wouldn’t that be amazing? That was one of the reasons why she focused on participating in FHA-HERO,” said Diffenderfer. “She really saw that as a way to help prepare her for her future career.”

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