The Forest High School Beta Club traveled to Oklahoma City to compete in the National Beta Club Convention June 17–22. As a result of their achievements at the Mississippi Beta Convention, FHS received 12 invitations for students to compete in multiple divisions during nationals. The FHS betas competed in a total of six events and FHS students placed nationally in four of those six divisions.
FHS’s service showcase board project, which highlighted the Beta Clubs annual Veteran’s Day program at Forest Elementary School, was selected as national runner-up from among all those who competed. The showcase board was a group project completed by the Betas. At nationals the presentation was given by Zariyae Moore and Nicedriana Gray.
In the group talent division FHS placed 7th nationally after competing against Beta Clubs from 32 different states. The group talent division was highly competitive and placing seventh in the nation was a great accomplishment for the FHS club.
In individual contests, FHS betas were awarded trophies in two divisions — Jesus Garcia placed 4th nationally in the Ninth Grade Level Spanish competition and Citlali Hernandez placed 7th nationally in the Tenth Grade Spanish competition.
“We were very pleased with our performance and I believe we represented our school and community well during the convention,” said FHS Beta Sponsor Chantelle Herchenhahn. “I’m extremely proud of each one of these students. They really put the work and effort into a very successful year for our Beta Club here at FHS.”
While in Oklahoma City the Beta Club members and adult sponsors enjoyed sightseeing around the city. “We visited the Oklahoma Federal Building Memorial, took in a minor league baseball game, enjoyed a night at a local Six Flags named Frontier City and enjoyed the downtown area of Bricktown,” Herchenhahn said. “We also visited the National Cowboy and American Heritage Museum where we saw many beautiful works of art and explored western history. Two highlights for all of us during the trip were touring the Oklahoma Federal Building Memorial and Museum and whitewater rafting. These were definitely unique opportunities that were made possible by the donations from The American Legion Post 9, the Forest Rotary Club and individual club sponsors. We cannot thank them enough for their continued support.”
Herchenhahn said the support of the local community is what made the trip possible. “This was a once-in-a-lifetime chance for all of the 32 students and five adults that went on the trip, and it was all made possible by the support of our school’s administration and the generosity of our local community,” she said. “Our students were great ambassadors for Forest High School and the city during this trip and it was all possible because of the overwhelming support of the FHS Beta Club.”
