Family, Career and Community Leaders of America has selected Har-Ber High School FCCLA Adviser Tessa Bunch as a recipient of the 2026 Spirit of Advising Award.
This national honor recognizes Bunch as an adviser who truly embodies the spirit of advising by offering steadfast support and a deep commitment to student growth, according to an FCCLA press release.
“There are over 250 wonderfully unique, dedicated and hard working FCCLA Advisers across Arkansas. I am truly honored to be selected as Arkansas FCCLA's 2026 recipient for Spirit of Advising,” Bunch said. “Being an FCCLA Adviser means so much to me and being recognized for my efforts in this role is the cherry on top of a really great year for Har-Ber FCCLA!”
Recipients of the Spirit of Advising Award must believe in the FCCLA mission, support and work with students to ensure student success, provide learning experiences, encourage positive character development, dedicate time and energy to nurturing student leaders and serve as an FCCLA adviser, according to the FCCLA website.
Bunch said she deeply admired her FCCLA Adviser Alice Smith when she was an FCCLA member many years ago.
“I hope that I have made her proud and will forever strive to meet her high expectations,” she said. “I couldn't imagine my classroom or life without FCCLA.”
Bunch said she’s looking forward to receiving the award alongside advisers from across the country at the National Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C., this summer.
In addition to Spirit of Advising Award, Bunch said she was also recognized as the 2026 Har-Ber High School Teacher of the Year, has held four FCCLA offices and has served as an FCCLA Adviser and Family and Consumer Science teacher since 2013.
FCCLA and FCS are co-curricular, and FCCLA isn't an additional requirement, but is embedded in FCS standards, Bunch said.
“Much of what we do is outside of class as well,” she said.
About FCCLA: FCCLA is a national career and technical student organization that prepares students for careers that support the family through Family and Consumer Sciences education. The FCCLA has provided leadership development, workplace readiness and career preparation opportunities that equip students with the skills needed for success in both life and work since 1945, according to the website. FCCLA Members develop critical thinking, collaboration and problem-solving skills while exploring career opportunities aligned to the national career clusters. The organization has more than a quarter of a million FCCLA members in over 5,500 chapters nationwide.