AAFCS turns the spotlight on individuals, their experiences, and how they have benefited from AAFCS membership and/or family and consumer sciences programs. It offers an opportunity for you to share your story with your colleagues and the greater FCS community, inspire future FCS professionals, and strengthen awareness of the profession and association.
Isn't it your turn to grab the spotlight? Download a submission form here!
LaQuanna S. Sparkman
Pearland, Texas
Member since 2011
Family & Consumer Sciencess: Keeping it Current
LaQuanna Sparkman is the owner of QuannaGourmet, LLC. Her small business is a company she started after returning to the FCS classroom after a seven-year maternity leave. QuannaGourmet was developed to counter the lack of new, engaging, and current media to show to in her classrooms. Her desire to keep FCS profession
current and relevant to today’s youth was reflected in this desire to not show another video in her classroom and have to explain, “please pay attention to the content, not the clothes, shoes or hairstyles” knowing that the students were constantly distracted by the outdated images and content. Her desire is to mentor new teachers and build relationships with students who seek advice in the classrooms and their professional life. She currently teaches at Houston Community College as an adjunct in the Teacher Education department. She has two school age children, involved in the community while living in Houston, Texas with her husband who is a professor also in the Family and Consumer Science at the University of Houston teaching in HRD.
Why did you join AAFCS? I wanted the professionalism that many other non- FCS teachers and careers receive and the ability to network with the professionals who encourage and think progressively about FCS.
How has membership in AAFCS been of value to you and your profession? I have been able to meet so many FCS professionals who value the same things I value…and that’s refreshing!
Please complete the following sentence: AAFCS is "Creating waves in our society and helps contribute to the lasting impressions that people never forget for a lifetime!"
Please explain your answer. When I ask the average person (male or female/ young or old) if they remember their Math teacher, Science teacher, or English teacher, they most often do not, but if I ask them if they remember their “Home Ec teacher or their “foods teacher” they give the best smile and fondly recall the lessons, their teachers name (even from 30+ years ago) and the FUN they had while in their classroom! Only FCS professional are able to do this for a lifetime!!!!!
Why did you choose the field of family and consumer sciences? I choose this profession because my teacher who later adopted me as her daughter was my first “home teacher” and she was the BEST teacher in the entire school. I went to her classroom every day, I was her student aide, prepared her labs, washed her kitchen towels, helped with the fashion show, learned how to sew, learned how to cook, in other words, I learned how to live and I am the best person as a wife, mother and businesswoman because of the impact she had on my career choice to become a teacher and a businesswoman!
Please share a few of your most recent accomplishments.
-Created and started my own company in 2011, QuannaGourmet, which produces Educational Cooking Media for FCS Educators who want current, updated, basic cooking instructional videos to supplement their lesson plans. These videos teach the basic cooking and etiquette principles we hold dear to our hearts as FCS professionals.
-FCSTAT 2012 Conference presenter, How to Energize Students Energized and Returning to Our FCS Classrooms
-FCSTAT 2013 Conference Presenter, Second Time Around – Using People, Places and Things to get the Administration to Fall in Love with your FCS Programs.
-I received my Masters of Education in Educational Administration and Leadership to have an impact as a leader within the school community where school boards, school leaders and administration make decisions about our programs and to show value and bring professionalism to our FCS programs.
Want to connect? Contact Laquanna at quannagourmet@yahoo.com.
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