Miami Senior High is a school well known for the variety of electives given to its students. Some of these electives can allow students unleash their inner artist through band, AP Art, and in this case, fashion design. Ms. Belony’s fashion design class fulfills the dreams of students aspiring to be bigger designers in the real world or simply learning an important life skill. FCCLA is a club dedicated to those willing to share their passion for clothes-making with the world and demonstrate to the world what they’re made of.
“We appreciate students who not only are talented and capable, but we really appreciate students that are well mannered and well behaved,” says Ms. Belony.
The Club’s Beginnings & Differences to last Year
FCCLA has always been an integral program, interlacing with the Fashion Design program. In this club, the members and officers participated in the homecoming parade with designing their shirts and getting open opportunities to sign up for future competitions later in the year. As always, the program and club would welcome first year students that would soon develop their skills in fashion design and sewing.
This year, the club is more distinct, according to Ms. Belony, the club’s advisor. The year one students are welcomed into the program with little to no knowledge about the impact fashion has on society and its history. The class has its students learn. At the end of the day, Ms. Belony states that, “Everyone has to wear something.”
In the 2022-23 school year, Ms. Belony reported that FCCLA participated in a Miami Dade College competition known as Innovate, in which the two winners won scholarships, an illustration package, and sewing machine. In comparison, this year’s competitions had much bigger prizes, including money.
During the 2023-24 school year, Ms. Belony brought back previous students to showcase their collections done post high school.
Achievements with Accompanying Challenges
Members of the club took part in late January’s District Competition and received their awards during a banquet a month after. These members qualified for the state and won various medals, mostly silver and gold, to celebrate their passion for the program. Some of these high achievers include Daniel Lopez, Fatima Giron, Mia Gomez, Alina Aviles, Keila Aldana, Liana Bracero, Byron Palma, Emmerson Gonzalez, and Jayden Vilorio.
Of course, it’s not a club without certain setbacks. According to Ms. Belony, “Communication was not as good as it should’ve been.” Losing time also played a part in FCCLA’s main setbacks, and it’s something its advisor believes should be worked on for next year.
Special & Honorable Mentions
When it comes to mentioning students that stand out, usually, it’s quite difficult to choose from the many phenomenal stars among different classes. But to Ms. Belony, there were a select few that really stood out.
From the first-year Fashion Design classes, outstanding performers were Misky Diaz, Yuridia Rosales, Yinela Coliandres, Bridget Luna and Brandon Varela. “The class was a good fit for me and them; their personalities lean well with mine,” said Ms. Belony. Despite these students only being in their first year, they managed to build a great relationship with their teacher.
From the third- and second-year classes, students Daniel Lopez, Alina Aviles, Rengel Cajina-Cuadra, and Marian Reed demonstrated their passions and aspirations for fashion through the awards they won throughout the 2023—24 school year. Ms. Belony shares her excitement for these students, stating that she has basically watched them grow up since their first year with her.
End-of-Year Events & Future Plans
To celebrate the end of the 2023-24 school year, the Fashion Design class and FCCLA will be hosting an end-of-year brunch. The club also hosted a fashion show that took place on May 17th. Ms. Belony happily confirms that the club will continue to practice for future competitions in the 2024-25 school year. Students will start early to prepare for next year’s fashion show.
