Two seniors from John F. Kennedy Memorial High School, Liam Chang and Shree Patel, addressed the Woodbridge Township Board of Education during the public-comment period on Nov. 20 to report on their experience at the FCCLA Capital Leadership conference in Washington, D.C.

Chang described the four-day leadership event as memorable and focused on workshops, advocacy training and networking. "This capital leadership, 4 day long conference was an unforgettable experience," he said. The students said they used their time on "Hill Day" to meet with two New Jersey members of Congress — Rep. Frank J. Pallone and Rep. Donald Norcross — to discuss the importance of family and consumer sciences education and to share personal experiences from their district programs.

Both students thanked JFK staff who supported the trip, naming their principal and chaperones, and said the experience helped them grow leadership and advocacy skills. They also invited board members to take flyers with details about upcoming FCCLA events and encouraged continued support for student participation in leadership programs.

What happens next: The board thanked the students for their presentation. The public-comment period otherwise contained no requests for immediate board action arising from the presentation.