California FFA Hires New Leadership Development Coordinator

The California Association FFA is pleased to announce the hiring of Jasmine Flores as the Leadership Development Coordinator. Ms. Flores is a graduate of California State University, Fresno where she majored in Agricultural Communications.

Ms. Flores brings with her a wealth of experience as a team facilitator and team leader in the Integrated Leadership Continuum. She was part of the team that evaluated and revised the Made for Excellence curriculum and was the staff lead in managing the arena at the 2022 State FFA Leadership Conference.

Ms. Flores will work hand-in-hand with the State Agricultural Education staff and FFA Center staff in delivering quality Greenhand Leadership Conferences, Made for Excellence Conferences, Advanced Leadership Academies, and the Sacramento Leadership Experience. As a former State FFA Officer, Ms. Flores understands how important it is to provide foundational experiences for students to learn leadership skills and grow as individuals.

We are excited to have an individual with the skill set and enthusiasm that Ms. Flores has joining our team and look forward to her leadership in her new role. Please join us in welcoming Ms. Jasmine Flores to our Agricultural Education and FFA families.

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Spanish FFA Creed Speaking Contest: A Latino Perspective

By: Francesca Carrillo, Student Teacher at Nipomo High School

The addition of the Spanish FFA Creed as an official Leadership Development Event is gaining traction among states with a high proportion of Spanish-speaking FFA members. After hearing a lot of discussion among teachers representing a wide range of views, I wanted to share my own opinion about the value of establishing a Spanish FFA Creed Speaking contest at the local and state levels.

One of the points that came up about the Spanish Creed during the South Coast Region CATA meeting on February 28th, was that students can already compete in the FFA Creed competition in Spanish if they choose to. While this is true, not very many students compete in Spanish or other languages because of the limitation for fair consideration. When a student participates in the FFA Creed and competes in Spanish, there are not always native Spanish-speaking judges available. I think that the Spanish FFA Creed will provide a means of representation that Spanish speaking students don’t currently have in FFA. 

Having the Spanish Creed as its own separate competition would allow Spanish speaking FFA members to feel like they have a place in the great organization of FFA. It would give students the opportunity to compete and participate in a public speaking event that really gets students in the door of competing in FFA. The representation would also be there for them as well, by having judges who not only speak Spanish, but can ask questions in Spanish. These students will also see themselves being represented by the individuals coaching the Spanish Creed at their school.

Representation is one of the many reasons I decided to become a teacher in general. I want to be the person I never saw growing up. When I was in school the only teachers I ever saw that looked like me were Spanish language teachers. I want to be that difference when I become an agricultural teacher and be the person I never saw growing up. Especially in the world of agriculture, I want all students to know the many opportunities there are available in this industry. Specifically in the Latino culture, many parents don’t want their children involved in agriculture at all because they think they will just grow up to be a field worker. My hope as a future educator in agriculture, is to change that mindset. I hope my students and their parents will see me and understand that there are many careers in agriculture that will help young people fulfill their passions and be successful.

I did not grow up with an agricultural background and my own parents are not involved in agriculture in any way. When I told them I wanted a career in agriculture other than being a veterinarian they were skeptical and did not understand how I could be successful. After much explaining of why becoming a teacher in agriculture was so important, my parents understood and I was able to teach them things about agriculture that they never understood before. 

I hope that as a newly-credentialed agricultural teacher, I can be a coach for the Spanish  FFA Creed Speaking Contest. I hope I can encourage students that they will have a place in FFA no matter where they come from or what language they speak. Truly, I think that the Spanish Creed as a separate competition will open so many doors for so many different students to be a part of an organization that will give them lifelong opportunities.

A video of the Spanish FFA Creed produced by the National FFA Organization.

Creating a Self-Sustaining Horticulture Facility

By: Matthew Smith, Teacher, Sequoia High School 

Ornamental horticulture is a very beneficial course for students’ scientific exploration. It connects life science, biology, climate, environment, art and even business to real life applications. These are critical skills for students to connect in-class scientific theory to real life designs in their own landscapes, or even turn these skills into a business/career. 

There are a number of challenges to successfully operate a horticulture facility. One roadblock is facilities and/or funding for the program. There will be various startup costs but if you run your horticulture program as a nursery business, your program will grow quickly and students will begin to see the returns as well. As with any business, you must consider your product to be sold, resources that you have available for the program, and how to sell your product. The main goal is to create a self-sustaining horticulture program where students can learn by doing and gain valuable hands-on experience through real life application. 

Resources for the horticulture program range from your advisory committee, to your industry partners, and the resources that you build into your program facility. Building your program is going to rely on help from your administration, grounds keepers, and custodians, in addition to industry/community support and student participation. The teacher will be the driving factor in facilitating all of this, because you have the knowledge and skills to put this together to work for your program. Designing your landscape to be a functional aspect of your program is critical. Using your industry connections to accumulate various plants to use in your design can help you start and sustain your program through propagation. These industry connections and your advisory committee can also be used to help design a self-sustaining horticulture facility. I recommend using these connections to build your program to the size of the space you have on campus. Start small and build your way up to a functional self-sustaining facility. From here, some programs are fortunate enough to build full scale farms and nursery facilities that are run and sustained by hands-on student participation and self-sustaining facility designs. 

In a horticulture class your product is the easy part to figure out—plants! However, producing the product is a completely different task depending on donations, resources, facilities, and student and teacher skill sets. Let’s face it, sometimes a green thumb is helpful, but don’t let this be a hindrance to knowledge. With the right facilities, such as a greenhouse, shade house, or even a shaded area at your school, you can propagate various house plants and landscaping plants with cuttings from mother stock. At Sequoia HS (Merced) I’m lucky enough to have all of these things at my disposal to propagate plants. Growing vegetable seeds also creates plants that can be sold at a plant sale. However, common landscaping plants such as lavender, rosemary, lantana, various herbs, and even tall grass shrubs are great for propagating with students at a low cost. Using multiple rooting hormones (ex. Hormex, Honey, cinnamon, aloe-vera, aspirin) to propagate these plants can be presented using the scientific method with students. Turning this into a lab project is a great way to show students how plant anatomy grows with explanations of meristematic tissues and growth zones. In turn, your students have gained long lasting plant knowledge using hands-on skills while creating a self-sustaining supply of plants that can be sold.  

Once you have accumulated the space, support, and materials needed to produce your product, it’s time to sell the product. Most schools have one major factor working in favor of plant sales—location. Most schools are placed in common areas that are easily accessible by the public making advertising fairly easy. Advertising is important for your plant sale as “people that know will show” to your sale. More traffic will account for more sales typically. By collaborating with other pathways and/or incentivizing student participation in a Horticulture Club with FFA/SAE credit, you can garner students support for advertising and marketing your sale. Also the use of social media can help boost advertising and attract support for your program. Advice from colleagues in my district has been to plan, set a date(s), and run with it no matter the type of support. Over time the work itself will be a selling factor for industry support and student participation. Growth of your plant sale will build over time with consistency and quality. Something also to consider is keeping prices lower than a commercial nursery or landscaping operation. At the end of the day, this is a school activity and gouging your customers isn’t going to generate repeat customers. Your school’s plant sale will serve to fund your program costs, fund part of next year’s materials, build your facility and further build industry support. Overall this is for students to gain hands-on experience in business and marketing while utilizing scientific theories of plants through self-sustaining program resources. 

A plant sale is a great resource for students to practice hands-on skills with self-sustaining resources while generating funds for your horticulture program. Overall, building your horticulture program serves to build student skills in horticulture, landscaping, and nursery management that translate into future careers and/or post-secondary education. These are valuable skills that reinforce scientific theory and business management skills in students. Ultimately, the agricultural teacher can make the most impact on students by building a self-sustaining horticulture program for students to build a foundation for valuable hands-on skills.

Empowering Others

By: John Williams, CATA Secretary

In my last article, I expressed the need for the members of our association to speak up and say what is on their mind. After some reflection, I thought it would be good to talk about empowerment and what we can do to help each other speak up and encourage each other to serve. 

I understand that this is not easy for many of those in our profession. As we enter our careers, we hear names of teachers who have been in the profession for many years, and early on I remember feeling intimidated by experienced teachers serving in leadership roles. In many ways it seemed easier to let experienced teachers do all of the talking, leading, and serving. In my first job as a teacher, I had the privilege of working alongside an experienced teacher who had high expectations for our department and expected us to step up and serve outside of our campus and chapter. She was the person who encouraged me to run for section office and nominated me for my position. This type of encouragement and mentorship enabled me to continue to serve CATA through the Operation Division, Region Office, and now as a State Officer. This is just one example of how an individual can empower someone else to serve the teachers in our association and not be afraid to speak up when needed. 

Our association has hit a flat spot. Flat spots are nice—there is no resistance, however complacency may become an easy attitude to have for those who are in leadership roles. I am not saying we all need to rise up and do a complete makeover, but there are definite changes that need to be made to our profession to address teacher retention, home/work balance, and how we maintain a growing organization—not just in teacher numbers, but in moral, leadership and organizational change. How does this happen if we are in a flat spot? It is up to the members to take on new roles and bring in new ideas. We have an opportunity to really do great things in our profession moving forward. Society may be in shambles, but the great thing about the CATA is the ability to problem solve and move forward and ultimately move on from a very painful pandemic induced coma in our lives. I guess the question is how?

We have a very large population of teachers in their first ten years of their career. Statistically, we tend to lose teachers around years five through seven. I do not have an answer to this turnover, but keep in mind this is a prevalent issue for all educators—not just agricultural teachers. Those teachers who have been in the profession longer than ten years now have a huge opportunity and responsibility: to mentor, encourage and empower our younger teachers. When we go to region meetings and the “old dogs” tend to be the most vocal, it can be intimidating. Take a moment at those meetings and introduce yourself to the next generation. It is our responsibility to make sure these young teachers feel welcomed and that they are in an environment where they can speak their piece, ask questions, and have an opportunity to learn. I am guilty of assumption, I tend to assume all agricultural teachers know the Curricular Code, where to find information on AIG, or other things that come with experience—that is wrong on my part. I have to remind myself that I had great mentors that helped me along the way and many new teachers may not be as lucky as I was. It is our responsibility to empower these new teachers and give them a voice because the future of our profession is relying on us. 

The CATA is a dysfunctional family. I do not say that in a bad way, all families have issues just as our association does and we are allowed to be dysfunctional as long as we continue to address the important issues and move forward. I enjoy the “family” aspect of the profession. The fun part is that even when we do not agree with someone else, we can address our issues and still be at another event enjoying each other’s company. This brings me into the next aspect of this article: we need to stop taking things so personally. It is great that we have passion in what we are doing, but we cannot allow that passion to overcome our abilities to think and see another perspective. We might not agree on everything, but our ultimate goal is student success. It helps to remember that the other person has the same goals in mind as you do. When we can see things from a different lens, it allows us to see the whole problem and gain a better understanding of all parties. Agricultural teachers tend to lean on one side and can be narrow minded, but at a section/region/state activity our commitment to listening and understanding each other can help broaden our perspective. When we can understand one another better, we are able to become empowered to work through an issue. 

For the young/new teachers – welcome to the family! You may not feel your voice is heard and it might not be yet. I challenge you to meet and get to know some of the seasoned teachers. The best place to do this is at the social parts of our conferences and meetings. Sit down next to a teacher who has been in the profession for 15-20-25 years.  Ask them what it was like when they first started teaching. The stories you will hear will be memorable, but what you get out of it will last your career. If you do this once or twice a year/semester, soon those individuals will reach out to you or be incredibly open to sharing information, curriculum and help in general. In my brief 13 years of teaching, I have never once been turned away from a conversation from a seasoned teacher. The times I chose not to reach out are the missed opportunities I have had in this profession. Coming into this profession is a challenge, keeping up with all of the expectations of being a teacher can seem impossible, but remember every teacher in this profession has gone through some kind of adversity and when you realize you are not alone, you will better understand why the older teachers tend to speak out more. 

Some things to consider as we finish this school year: summer conference is right around the corner and is in-person for the first time since 2019. If you are a teacher who has been teaching at least 10 years, try to make a new friend, reach out to the younger teachers, and use this opportunity to teach them about the CATA organization and its value in education. Those of you teaching 10 years or less and are in need of help or have questions, take this opportunity at Cal Poly in June to also make a new friend, listen to some old stories, learn about the organization and gain a resource of individuals who want to help you succeed. There are multiple social events at the end of each day to allow for this to happen. I have many mentors and I have become a mentor to many as well—can you say the same? This year we have much to celebrate as an organization. Take some time to celebrate completing this year, catch up with people you have not seen in multiple years, and try to find a way to feel empowered. When you take the initiative, you will grow as a leader and may even become a mentor or gain a mentor. Hope you all have a great end of your school year.  I look forward to seeing you all at Cal Poly in June.

Department of Education Update: State Conference Reflections

By: Charles Parker, California Department of Education, State FFA Advisor

As I sit here I can’t help but think back to last week when we welcomed some 6,000 FFA members, advisors, and guests to Sacramento for the 94^th Annual State FFA Leadership Conference. After two years of alternative conferences, it was exciting to once again have an in-person event. 

As I stood in the back of the arena prior to the opening session, I could not help but reflect on what we had missed the past two years. Most certainly as I looked around the arena, I could not help but become a bit emotional.

Even being in a position to meet in Sacramento was a team effort. The many meetings, conversations, and changes that have occurred in the past few months were important in putting together the 2022 conference. There was more than one occasion when I was not sure if we would be able to meet at all.

The conference itself was the result of a total team effort. With that in mind, I want to extend my sincere thanks to the many individuals who joined in the planning and delivery of the 2022 State Conference. 

First, a BIG thank you to the teachers who, under unusual circumstances, trusted that we were doing everything we could to pull off the annual celebration of California FFA. It seemed that each week new details were shared that changed what was being planned. Teachers asked questions and served as the conduit for information. We appreciate the support and comments. What teachers accomplished in the past few months is a testament to their fortitude. I am forever grateful for the work agriculture teachers do.

Mr. Mooney put together an arena staff that worked well together to ensure that the sessions were run efficiently and that members and honorees were recognized in a professional manner. Working two jobs for much of the year, Mr. Mooney delivered a State Leadership Conference in a new venue that made us all proud. His leadership with the State FFA Officers was evidenced by their performance both on and off the stage. Thank you is most certainly not enough to show how appreciative we are of the work he has done.

However, Mr. Mooney was not the only individual who went beyond their normal work to help in the delivery of the conference. Taline, Sarah and Jennifer from Mosaic were instrumental in us being in a position to even have an in-person event. Their continued belief in what we do was heartwarming. I appreciate their guidance through the many steps as we navigated the ever-changing health and safety requirements.

Toosje Koll and the FFA Foundation Board were with us at every turn. They were instrumental in finding volunteers to help in a myriad of events. In addition, their commitment to the program was evident by their continued success in finding donors so that we could provide awards, industry tours, and a career expo. So often the FFA Foundation is behind the scenes providing what is needed. We are thankful that they are there to support our students and programs.

It should also be noted that the FFA Center staff of Trisha, Kerry, Maria, Jennifer, Cari, Maureen, and Matt were there every step of the way. We are very thankful for the numerous hours they shared both before and during the annual conference. They are a remarkable group and one that I am glad is on our team.

To Jasmine, Roman, Genevieve, Serena, and the rest of the support crew that operated behind the scenes, THANK YOU for taking time from your “real work” to help in pulling off this unique celebration. We know that without this group of dedicated individuals, the sessions would not have even happened. This group returning to help is a showcase of the quality of individuals that we have the privilege to work with.

I also want to express my appreciation to my staff. Jill, JessaLee, Jackie, Shay, Greg, and Hugh have taken on many new assignments over the past few months, worked exceptionally hard in meeting the many new deadlines, and guided the many aspects of the conference. Even in tough times, they continued to support our goals and push us through to the finish line. I could not ask for a more selfless and dedicated group of individuals. I am truly honored to be able to work with and spend time with each one of these outstanding individuals.

Finally, to those that are not mentioned, and there are many of them, we know it takes a village to pull off an event of this size. I wish I could list every name to share just how broad the support was. We thank you for making the sacrifices to be part of our extravaganza.

I sincerely hope that everyone knows just how much we appreciate them and value their contribution. In the end, I trust that they will accept my simple thank you as a symbol of my gratitude.

THANK YOU!

Department of Education Update: Opening Up!

By: Charles Parker, California Department of Education, State FFA Advisor

As we enter 2022, I can’t help but dream about what great experiences our students will have. No, I am not naive to think we will ever get back to what “normal” used to be. But I am an optimist and can see good times ahead.

When I recently took a look at the calendar for the next few months, I was in awe of what is planned. It will be imperative that, as we continue to open up for in-person events, we take caution in how we operate. The future is not about what I, or you, believe, but what can be done to help ensure the safety and health of our students and ourselves.

You will be asked to add to your job description that of a medical assistant. You will now need to ask questions to help guide your students as they transition back to in-person events. Working with parents and school officials to devise the proper procedures for moving forward will be a challenge.

The steps we take will all be done because we wish to provide experiences for students. The next few months will be filled with applications for proficiency awards, state degrees, officers, and others. In addition, students will be participating in speaking events and parliamentary procedure. There will also be section and region meetings and field day competitions. All of these will be leading up to the 2022 State FFA Leadership Conference.

The city of Sacramento is preparing for the arrival of the Blue and Gold. The California FFA Foundation is working with a Sacramento committee to help with volunteers as well as to provide additional resources. Mr. Mooney and the State FFA Officers are in the midst of conference planning as they design the new experience for FFA members. As Mr. Mooney is fond of saying, “this will be the best State FFA Conference ever held in Sacramento!”

A lot can happen in the next few months as the weather changes and the dynamics of the pandemic evolve. My fingers, toes, eyes, etc. are all crossed as I look forward to addressing those in attendance at the State Conference. My optimistic outlook has us setting a new attendance record as students, teachers, administrators, parents, and guests flock to the open doors of the Golden 1 Arena.

We need to stay focused on what we can do to help continue to see the State and County open back up. Asking questions, leaving students at home if they are ill, following the mask guidelines, and knowing what the local and state rules are needed to be at the forefront of our daily routine.

Let’s continue to be the example for others. The one that is looked at as the model for success. The Spring will be a myriad of opportunities, let us be prepared to take advantage of those opportunities and see our students engaged in activities, smiling, and enjoying the social aspect of leadership development.

Until we next meet, may you remain safe and healthy.

National Convention Results

By: Charles Parker, California Department of Education, State FFA Advisor

WOW! It was fantastic to see students experiencing, for many, their first in-person conference. National FFA and the city of Indianapolis should be commended on the success of hosting the 94^th Annual National Convention and Expo.

The 2021 event was well attended, with 60,700 registered participants. A BIG thank you to the CDE Staff for their leadership and support. Jackie, Jill, JessaLee, Shay, Hugh, and Greg each had a responsibility at convention that enabled students to have memorable experiences. I am extremely proud of the participation of California and congratulate those that were able to participate in one or more of the events or competitions.

California’s results are:

Agriscience Fair

Animal Systems-2 Savannah Tarrant/Briley McKinney, Wheatland-Bear River – National Finalist

Animal Systems-3 Ella White, St. Helena – National Finalist

Animal Systems-4 Jocelyn Feaster/Anna Scruggs, Elk Grove – National Finalist

Animal Systems-5 Angela Fernandes, Turlock – National Finalist

Animal Systems-6 Catherine Peterson/Gloria Martinez Mota, Tracy-Merrill West – National Finalist

Enviro Sci Systems-1 Travis White, Wheatland-Bear River – National Finalist

Enviro Sci Systems-3 Brennan Elszy, Hanford – National Winner

Enviro Sci Systems-5 Brenna Pauls, St. Helena – Bronze 

Enviro Sci Systems-6 Kaylee Moura/Anahi Almanza, St. Helena – National Finalist

Food Prod Systems-1 Alexis Phillips, Wheatland-Bear River – National Finalist

Food Prod Systems-3 Mikayla Cortez, Hanford – National Finalist

Food Prod Systems-5 Brendan Latronica, Elk Grove – National Finalist

Food Prod Systems-6 Avery Coelho/Emma Coelho, Tulare – National Finalist

Plant Systems-1 Nathaniel Brockhoff, Wheatland-Bear River – National Finalist

Plant Systems-3 Madeline Sullivan, St. Helena – National Finalist

Plant Systems-4 Gannon Strahm/Monserath Felix, Holtville – Bronze 

Plant Systems-5 Ashtyn Taylor, St. Helena – National Finalist

Plant Systems-6 Marilyn Mendoza/Jeremy Freitas, Exeter – National Finalist

Power Systems-2 Conrad Burrow/Wyatt Hart, Wheatland-Bear River – National Finalist

Power Systems-3 Paige Camacho, O’Neals-Minarets – National Finalist

Power Systems-4 Jasmine Castro/Daniel Ledezma-Zarate, Holtville – Bronze 

Power Systems-5 Brandon Forgie, St. Helena – National Finalist

Social Systems-2 Alexa Franklin/Chasidy Sills, Wheatland-Bear River – National Finalist

Social Systems-3 Talia Ricci, St. Helena – National Finalist 

Social Systems-4 Emily Pan/Talia Zundel, San Luis Obispo – National Winner

Social Systems-5 Olivia Smith, St. Helena – National Finalist

Social Systems-6 Ivan Robledo/Antonio Santoyo, St. Helena – National Finalist

American Degree Recipients

Hailey Aceves, Visalia-Golden West 

Valeria Acosta, Woodland

Rafael Acosta III, Shafter

Travis Affonso, Linden

Butch Aguiar, Petaluma

Hunter Ahrens, O’Neals-Minarets 

Camille Alamot, Gustine

Ricardo Alberto, King City

Bailey Alexander, Palo Cedro-Foothill 

Garrett Alford, O’Neals-Minarets 

Mitchell Almind, Forestville-El Molino 

Brittany Alvarez, Firebaugh

Crystal Alvarez, Marysville

Jesus Amador, Gonzales

Alissa Amaral, Tulare

Ashlee Anderson, Turlock

Ana Andrade, Porterville-Monache 

Austin Andres, Paso Robles

Natalie Anselmo, O’Neals-Minarets 

Kylie Applemun, Elk Grove

Tristan Aranda, Bakersfield-North 

Adasyn Arechiga, Visalia-Golden West 

Sergio Arellano, Madera

Alondra Arias, Santa Maria

Nicole Arias, Julian

Katelyn Arieas, Riverdale

Mia Arisman, Galt

Jose Armenta, King City

Mackenzie Arnold, Mariposa

Audrey Arntz, Petaluma

Lizbeth Arroyo, Santa Maria

Carlee Austin, Sebastopol-Analy 

Paige Autry, Paso Robles

Gerardo Avalos, Turlock

Salvador Avalos-Estrada, Merced-Golden Valley 

Jonathan Avila, Hanford

Makayla Avila, Visalia-El Diamante 

Tyler Avila, Porterville

Christy Awalt, Paso Robles

Christopher Ayala, Merced-Golden Valley

Gianna Azevedo, Gustine

Caleb Bairos, Oakdale

Hailey Baldwin, Escondido

Carlos Ballesteros, Madera

Bailey Banducci, Bakersfield-Independence 

Cassidie Banish, Paso Robles

Brooke Barredo, Santa Maria-Righetti 

America Barros, Calipatria

Tavin Barry, Oakdale

Cody Bartholomew, Oakdale

Dilan Basila, O’Neals-Minarets 

Nicole Batezell, Oakdale

Dominic Batteate, Oakdale

Alexys Bautista, St Helena 

Jonah Beals, Hughson

Blake Beck, Galt

Seraphina Bedoyan, Clovis-Clovis East 

Mariah Berbena, Turlock-Pitman 

Bryan Berczynski, Visalia-VTEC 

Oceana Berumen, Bakersfield-Foothill 

Jason Besanceney, Fortuna

Bryson Bettencourt, Modesto-Thomas Downey 

Nathan Bettencourt, Exeter

Sophia Bianchi, Sebastopol-Analy

Hailey Bjerknes, Valley Center

Emma Blair, Elk Grove-Pleasant Grove 

Sterling Blom, Modesto

Austin Blomquist, Hanford

Brileigh Blosser, Healdsburg

Stella Boller, San Luis Obispo

Darren Borba, Gustine

Carolyn Boster, Turlock-Pitman 

Austin Boteilho, Salinas-Everett Alvarez 

Christopher Bowe, O’Neals-Minarets 

Garrett Bowe, O’Neals-Minarets 

Ashley Bowman, Clovis-Clovis East 

Katherine Boynton, Morgan Hill-Live Oak 

Jeremy Bradley, Napa-Vintage 

Justin Bradley, Santa Maria

Michael Bray, Atwater

Brianna Brazil, Ferndale

Dalton Breazeale, Oakdale

Ethan Breese, Paso Robles

Mallory Brenner, Ripon

Belinda Brookins, Weaverville-Trinity 

Abigayle Brown, Elk Grove-Pleasant Grove 

Jacob Brown, Paso Robles

Leea Brown, Tulelake

Sterling Brown, Lakeside-El Capitan

Isis Brownlow, Shafter

Sara Burch, Oakdale

Paul Burcham, Firebaugh

Mark Bush, Blythe-Palo Verde

Joshua Caballero, King City

Miguel Cachu, Dorris-Butte Valley 

Colton Calbreath, Hughson

Juan Camacho, Santa Maria

Mackenzie Camacho, O’Neals-Minarets 

Samantha Campbell, Sutter

Thomas Campbell, Ripon

Joel Campos, King City

Carmen Cantu, Madera

Crystal Carbajal, Nipomo

Omar Carbajal, King City

Julia Cardin, Chico

Mary Carli, Clarksburg-Delta 

Bailey Caron, Sebastopol-Analy 

Cody Carr, Paso Robles

Melanie Carroll, Salinas

McCoy Castanos, Lakeside-El Capitan

Jose Castillo, Merced-Golden Valley 

Lluvia Castillo, Dorris-Butte Valley 

Naomi Castro, Hollister-San Benito 

Samantha Caughie, Sebastopol-Analy 

Tayler Chamberlain, Fortuna

Jordyn Chance, Livingston

Grace Chandless, Arroyo Grande

Harrison Chang, Newman-Orestimba 

Justin Chapman, Willows

Dulce Chavez, King City

Joseph Chavez, Madera

Lucas Cheda, Petaluma

Casey Chicoine, Middletown

Kellie Clark, Bakersfield-Frontier 

Allie Clemons, Sebastopol-Analy 

Boyd Clifton, King City

Dallas Climer, Turlock-Pitman 

Emileigh Clinton, Salinas

Audrey Cockrell, Sanger

Blain Cole, Denair

Stephen Cole, Napa-Vintage 

Madisen Collier, Sebastopol-Analy 

Jaclynn Collins, Newman-Orestimba 

Garrett Colvin, Bakersfield-Foothill 

CorriAnne Cook, Paso Robles

Michael Copus, Merced-Golden Valley 

Alexa Cordoza, Merced-Golden Valley 

Matthew Corona, La Habra-Sonora 

Camila Cortes Padilla, Santa Maria-Righetti 

Jacqueline Cortez, Madera

Raelyn Cortez, Santa Maria-Righetti

Clay Costa, Tulare

Joshua Crain, Bakersfield-Independence 

Katie Crawshaw, Kingsburg

Giovanna Crayton, Hughson

Ryan Cromer, Jackson-Argonaut 

Darlene Cuellar, Dinuba

Eduardo Cueva, Bakersfield-Foothill

Julienne Damm, Arroyo Grande

Levi Davis, Porterville

Brooke Day, Woodland-Pioneer 

Karina Dayka, Carpinteria

Jackson De Jager, Merced-Stone Ridge Christian

Fallon Decious, Vacaville

Linzee DeGraff, Marysville

Aunika Del Real, Clovis-Clovis East 

Marcus Delgadillo, Merced-Golden Valley 

Mackenzie Demmers, Firebaugh

Nayeli Deniz, King City

Camille Descamps, San Luis Obispo

Jackson Dias, Turlock

Adan Diaz, Clovis-Clovis East 

Ricardo Diaz, Dinuba

Jesus Diaz Aguilera, Dinuba

Aileen Diaz Flores, Shafter

Nicole Diez, Paso Robles

Maria Dominguez Argueta, Greenfield

Josephine Doolittle, Anderson

Mark Doss, Nipomo

Timothy Drury, Red Bluff

Nicholas Duft, Nipomo

Lauren Dutra, Hanford

Anne Dykstra, Visalia-El Diamante 

Garrett Earl, Paso Robles

Justin Earl, Paso Robles

Joseph Echarte, Esparto

Austin Edwards, Galt

Owen Ellis, O’Neals-Minarets 

Trevor Enriquez, Willows

Alejandra Enriquez-Aquino, Santa Rosa-Elsie Allen 

Kellen Ernst, Santa Maria-Righetti 

Luke Ervin, Galt

Alex Esau, Durham

Ivanna Estrella, El Centro-Southwest 

Jared Evangelho, Lemoore

Ty Evans, San Luis Obispo

Sarah Fee, Loyalton

Jordan Fenton, Loomis-Del Oro 

Jacob Fernandes, Tulare

Madelyn Fernandes, Tulare

Dusty Flack, Julian

Colby Flatt, Atwater

Jordan Fletcher, Clovis-Clovis East 

Madison Flick, Nipomo

Jared Flores Retijin, Shafter

Jade Forero, Pine Valley-Mt. Empire 

Shelby Fosdick, Sonora

Megan Fragasso, San Luis Obispo

Travis Franceschi, Tomales

Caleb Freeman, Bakersfield-Foothill 

Tyler Furtado, Oakdale

Abel Garcia, Santa Maria-Pioneer Valley 

Aleah Garcia, Santa Maria

Brandi Garcia, Kingsburg

Fernando Garcia, Greenfield

Leslie Garcia, Dinuba

Megan Garcia, Merced-Golden Valley 

Richard Garcia, Modesto

Jose Garcia Jr., Laton

Jocelyn Garcia Pena, King City

Elisa Garnsey, San Luis Obispo

Jasmine Garza, Bakersfield-Independence 

Junior Gaytan Mesinas, Exeter

Makenna Gehrett, Sebastopol-Analy 

Colton Geiger, Willows

Amazing Geissler, Atwater-Buhach Colony 

Giulia Ghimenti, Fowler

Kimberly Gibbons, Bakersfield-Independence

Rachael Gilmore, Pine Valley-Mt. Empire 

James Glaser, Sebastopol-Analy 

Sarah Glenn, Camarillo

Lauren Glomson, Grass Valley-Bear River 

Kyle Gomes, Chowchilla

Beverly Goncalves, Chowchilla

Joleigh Gonella, Merced-Golden Valley 

Reese Gonsalves, Modesto

Amy Gonzalez, Tulelake

Emily Gonzalez, Bakersfield-Highland 

Victoria Gonzalez, Clarksburg-Delta 

Regan Goodwin, Bakersfield-Independence 

Chantz Granlees, Lodi

Brock Griffin, Loyalton

Kirsten Grissom, Chowchilla

Emely Guerra, Forestville-El Molino 

Maximus Guerra, Santa Maria-Righetti 

Karly Guerrero, Kingsburg

Edith Guijon, Woodlake

Alejandro Gutierrez, Petaluma

Arianna Gutierrez, Ceres-Central Valley

Cristian Gutierrez, Sacramento-Florin 

Roman Gutierrez, Santa Maria

Clayton Guy, Pine Valley-Mt. Empire 

Olivia Guyer, Turlock

Carlos Guzman, Nipomo

Eduardo Guzman, Le Grand

Heidi Guzman, Firebaugh

Victor Guzman, Middletown

Emme Haas, Morro Bay

Joshua Hack, Turlock

Wilhelm Hack, Turlock

Carissa Hall, Reedley-Immanuel 

Bradley Handel, Lodi-Tokay 

Olivia Hanna, Etna

Caden Hanson, Lodi

Ryan Haringa, Turlock

Mariah Harper, Hemet

Hannah Harrigan, Arroyo Grande

Emma Harris, Sebastopol-Analy 

Aubrie Hartwig, Sanger

Ashton Headley, King City

Kyras Headley, King City

Cameron Heinitz, Lodi-Tokay 

Austin Helms, Bakersfield-Highland 

Bethany Helton, Bakersfield-North 

Robert Henkens, Elk Grove-Pleasant Grove 

Corbin Hennesay, Clovis-Clovis East 

Grace Herman, Hanford

Efrain Hernandez, Firebaugh

Nicolas Herrera, Reedley

Abigail Hester, Holtville

Josh Heupel, Merced-Golden Valley 

Conner Hiatt, Madera-Liberty 

Dean Hill, Templeton

Mackenzie Hindman, Sutter Creek-Amador 

Anthony Hipolito Iniguez, Shafter

Madeline Holmes, Fortuna

Jordan Hooker, Merced-Stone Ridge Christian

Katherine Horal, Merced-Golden Valley 

Brianna Hughes, Bakersfield-Highland 

Danielle Hutchison, Madera-Liberty

Caeley Jackson, Sutter

Dillon Jackson, Kingsburg

Reid Jacobs, Lemoore

Aaron Jaramillo, Reedley

Kevin Jess, San Luis Obispo

Rocio Jimenez Hernandez, Santa Rosa

Colby Jobinger, O’Neals-Minarets 

Kayla Johnson, Bakersfield-Frontier 

Kandyce Johnston, El Centro-Southwest 

Allyson Jones, Lakeside-El Capitan

Mickala Jones, Oakdale

Jocelyne Juarez, Wasco

Mason Justice, Etna

Sheaden Kadle, Fortuna

Kayden Keillor, Shafter

Maddison Kerns, Auburn-Placer 

Sheridan Knight, Bakersfield-Frontier 

Sophia Kolb, Arroyo Grande

Chloe Koll, Sutter Creek-Amador 

Madison Kroeker, Merced-Golden Valley 

Ryann Kulbeth, Tranquillity

Macie Kulikov, Clovis-Clovis East

Alyssa Lang, Exeter

Allison Layne, Modesto

Audrey Legaspi, Salinas-Everett Alvarez 

Walter Lemons, Oakdale

Carolina Lemus, Santa Maria-Righetti 

Jacob Lepori, Sebastopol-Analy 

Ashley Lewis, Templeton

Shay Liebig, Middletown

Annika Lightfoot, Turlock

Sarah Lima, Hollister-San Benito 

Kaitlynn Linderholm, O’Neals-Minarets 

Justyne Lindley, Wheatland

Bailey Lopez, Le Grand

Cristian Lopez, Porterville

Eduardo Lopez, Visalia-Mt. Whitney 

Isaac Lopez, Shandon

Joshua Lopez, Santa Maria-Righetti 

Nick Lopez, Wasco

Rosario Lopez, Shafter

Chloe Luna, Turlock

Alexis Lupton, Galt-Liberty Ranch 

Brentan Luster, Ferndale

Tamara Macias, King City

Hannah Madole, Napa-Vintage 

Ryan Majarian, Visalia-Mt. Whitney 

Bailey Malone, Atwater-Buhach Colony 

Morgan Malone, Atwater-Buhach Colony 

Austin Maners, Sebastopol-Analy 

William Marchy, Turlock

Bella Marden, San Luis Obispo

Kasin Martin, Escondido

Kimberly Martin, Woodland

Edwin Martinez, Firebaugh

Hector Martinez, Woodland

Nicolas Martinez, King City

Julia Martinez Garcia, Santa Maria

Jaylene Martinez-Lopez, King City

Kelly Mathena, Eureka

Katie Matsumoto, Elk Grove-Pleasant Grove 

Macauley McDaniel, Bakersfield-Foothill 

Sarah McGary, Brentwood-Liberty 

Elise McKinsey, Valley Center

Gauge McMullen, Atwater-Buhach Colony 

Laila Medina, King City

Kyndle Mehlhaff, Jackson-Argonaut 

Victor Mejia, Atwater

Dylan Mello, Galt

Jacob Mendes, Lemoore

Dakota Mendonca, Tulare

Joseph Mendonca, Merced-Golden Valley 

Lindsy Mendoza-Ortiz, Nipomo

Mary Merritt, Clovis-Clovis East 

Riley Merten, Holtville

Alondra Meza, Bishop

Tab Miller, Nipomo

Blaine Mills, Santa Rosa-Elsie Allen 

Cheyanne Mills, Middletown

Madison Mills, El Centro-Southwest 

Stephanie Mills, Red Bluff

Kayla Minetti, Santa Maria-Righetti 

Morgan Mirau, Nipomo

Trew Mitchell, Paso Robles

Gabrielle Mix, Le Grand

Oracio Montes, Reedley

Jenna Moore, Nipomo

Adam Morales, Nipomo

Andrew Morales, Wasco

Eduardo Morales, Santa Maria-Pioneer Valley 

Julian Morato, Madera

Blake Morgan, Oakdale

Daniel Murray, Bakersfield-North

Cole Nally, Arroyo Grande

Beatriz Nava, King City

Teagan Neff, Arroyo Grande

Jerrod Nickerson, Atwater

Halee Nickols, Ferndale

Tayler Niesen, Sutter

Alexis Nighman, La Habra-Sonora 

Moises Novoa Diaz, Santa Maria-Pioneer Valley 

Alfred Nunes, Turlock

Allison Nunes, Turlock

Trey Nunes, Turlock

Riley O’Connor, San Luis Obispo

Jack Odell, Napa-Vintage 

Angel Orozco, Santa Maria

Maico Ortiz-Hinojosa, Galt

Layton Lee Oswald, Oakdale

Justin Paboojian, Reedley-Immanuel 

Jensen Pacheco, Le Grand

Sierra Pafford, Madera-Liberty 

Ivalinn Palmer, Clovis-Clovis East 

Jodie Parolini, Turlock

Gabriel Parra, McFarland

Christoph Paul, Grass Valley-Bear River 

Autumn Pecarovich, O’Neals-Minarets 

Tori Pedersen, Escondido

Ervin Pena, King City

Belen Perez, Santa Maria

Miguel Perez Esparza, Santa Maria-Pioneer Vly 

Colby Perry, Tollhouse-Sierra 

Brysan Pesenti, Paso Robles

Jesslyn Petersen, Merced-Golden Valley 

Mary Pat Peterson, Chico-CORE Butte Charter 

Haley Piek, Reedley-Immanuel 

Clay Pierce, Blythe-Palo Verde 

Ashlee Pike, Tracy-Delta Charter 

Joseph Pinheiro, Tulare

Sebastian Pinon, Santa Maria-Pioneer Valley 

Jasmine Plascencia, Camarillo

Sophie Plass, Tulelake

Cierra Polhemus, Oakdale

Olivia Poncia, Petaluma

Hannah Pope, Santa Maria-Righetti 

Madison Potts, Forestville-El Molino 

Kate Price, Santa Rosa

Arie Prins, Tulare

Anthony Prudente, Madera

Natasha Pyke, Morgan Hill-Live Oak 

Eric Quezada Ridge, Nipomo

Teddy Ragsdale, Merced-Golden Valley 

Alexandria Ramirez, Hollister-San Benito 

Garrett Ramirez, Clovis-Clovis East 

Osvaldo Ramirez Avila, Nipomo

Jonathan Rangel Diaz, Reedley 

Kyerstan Raymond, Grass Valley-Nevada Union 

Ethan Reece, Galt

Jordan Reich, Ripon

Madison Reimer, Bakersfield-Independence 

Hailee Revalee, Morro Bay

Saul Reyes, Hanford

Michael Rezendes, O’Neals-Minarets 

Cole Richard, Paso Robles

Joseph Richard, Loyalton

Willem Ridder, Healdsburg

Trevor Riley, Porterville

Maria Rios, Santa Maria

Stefhany Rios, St Helena 

Riley Ritchie, Arroyo Grande

Eroz Rivas, Santa Maria-Pioneer Valley 

Megan Robbins, Exeter

Sonora Robertson, Santa Maria-Righetti 

Landon Rocha, Hilmar

Andrea Rodriguez, King City

Angelica Rodriguez, Santa Maria-Righetti 

Francisco Rodriguez, Caruthers

Jessica Rodriguez, Watsonville

Jonathan Rodriguez, Templeton

Andrea Rojas-Navarro, Ceres-Central Valley

Siena Rollin, Riverdale

Ariadna Romero, Santa Maria

Ashley Romero, King City

Mary Rosa, Visalia-El Diamante 

Leobardo Rosas, Gonzales

Sujhey Rosas, Pine Valley-Mt. Empire 

Felix Ross, Dorris-Butte Valley 

Emily Ruiz, Camarillo

Kate Ruiz, Santa Paula

Juan Ruiz-Amador, Gonzales

Cody Russell, Oakdale

Mirella Saasta, El Centro-Southwest 

Luis Sainz, Gonzales

Savannah Salters, Bakersfield-Frontier 

Emily Sampson, Lincoln

Benjamin Sanchez, Bakersfield-Foothill 

Joseph Sandoval, Reedley

Ian Santoro, Madera-Liberty 

Jonathan Santos, Santa Maria

Christopher Santos Aguilar, King City

Efren Santos-Garcia, Santa Maria

Delaney Sarantopulos, Elk Grove

Emily Sarantopulos, Elk Grove

Kendall Savage, Paso Robles

Shelbi Scantlin, Templeton

Regina Schneider, Jackson-Argonaut 

Jayanna Scott, Sonora

Shantel Shaw, Sebastopol-Analy 

Jesse Shelbourne, Bakersfield

Kassidy Sheldon, Hanford

Michaela Shong, Morro Bay

Alyce Silva, Turlock

Aspen Silva, Modesto

Jacob Silva, Turlock

Jordyn Silva, Turlock

Tatyn Silva, Oakdale

Colton Silveira, Hilmar

Shantille Simonson, Nipomo

Madilyn Slate, Merced-Golden Valley 

Kathleen Smircich, Napa-Vintage 

Kylie Smith, Ripon

Tayler Smith, Bakersfield-Independence 

Jerry Snow, Pine Valley-Mt. Empire 

Taylor Sollecito, Salinas

Ashleigh Sorensen, Reedley-Immanuel 

Erika Sos, Chico

Amy Springer, Nicolaus-East Nicolaus 

Lester Squier, Willows

Reiley Stenberg, O’Neals-Minarets 

Ben Stevens, Bakersfield-Highland 

Taylor Stewart, Bakersfield-Frontier 

Casey Strupp, Paso Robles

Amy Suarez, Dos Palos

Luke Sullivan, Lone Pine

Jeslyn Svejda, Orland

Amy Swall, Tulare

Jake Swift, Mariposa

Kassidy Talbot, Woodland-Woodland Christian 

Karlie Tate, Bakersfield-North 

Dustin Tavares, Oakdale

Kimber Tavares, Oakdale

Riley Taylor, Weaverville-Trinity 

William Taylor, King City

Esteban Tellez-Hernandez, Merced-Golden Vly 

Austin Terra, Escalon

Brianna Thompson, Nipomo

Jared Thompson, Lemoore

Emma Thorpe, Lakeside-El Capitan

Alyssa Thunen, Sutter

Matthew Thunen, Sutter

Malei Tipton, El Centro-Southwest 

Jakob Titus, Sutter

Jonathan Toledo, King City

John Toste, Gustine

Trevor Trimble, O’Neals-Minarets 

Ivan Trujillo, Greenfield

Nathaniel Tsesmilles-Castro, Paso Robles

Rebecca Tsosie, Lone Pine

Hayley Tuttle, Bakersfield-Frontier 

John Uptergrove, Phelan-Serrano 

Rachel Utter, Valley Center

Cassandra Valdez, Merced

Olivia Valdez, Clovis-Clovis East 

Isabel Valle, Santa Paula

Malcolm Van Bebber, Merced-Golden Valley 

Abigail van Klaveren, Modesto

Kylie Van Vleck, Eureka

John Van Vliet, Ripon-Ripon Christian 

Clarissa Vander Poel, Shafter

Ariel Vander Woude, Ripon-Ripon Christian 

Cassie Varley, Bakersfield-North 

Nicholas Vasquez, Santa Maria-Pioneer Valley 

Mixtly Vega, Ceres-Central Valley

Citlalli Veloz, Santa Paula

Joebani Ventura, Laton

Sophia Vercellotti, Dorris-Butte Valley 

Grace Verdegaal, Oakdale

Irvin Vergara, King City

Davis Vieira, Turlock

Paige Vieira, Turlock-Turlock Christian 

Angel Villagomez, Greenfield

Luis Villanueva-Almaraz, King City

Christian Villanueva-Esquivel, Merced-Golden Vly 

Cheyenne Vitale, Modesto-Gregori

David Vitoria, Galt

Allison Wahlig, Nipomo

Lauren Walker, Palo Cedro-Foothill 

JoEllen Wall, Templeton

Amanda Waller, Middletown

Wyatt Ward, Kingsburg

Hailie Warnock, O’Neals-Minarets 

Dimitri Wasem, Oakhurst-Yosemite

Kassidy Watkins, Sebastopol-Analy 

Ashley Waymire, Visalia-Redwood 

Matt Weatherwax, Visalia-Golden West 

Jessica Welcher, Templeton

Emily White, Reedley

Zachery Whitely, Boonville-Anderson Valley 

Hannah Wilcocks, Bakersfield-Frontier 

Morgan Wilke, Bakersfield

Madison Winans, Arbuckle-Pierce

Robert Yebra, Gonzales

Calvin Young, Sebastopol-Analy 

Taylor Young, San Luis Obispo

Justin Zack, Atascadero

Kayla Zalesny, Nipomo

Paola Zarate-Camacho, Santa Maria-Pioneer Vly 

Angelina Zavala, Turlock

Abigail Ziesak, Eureka

Alyssa Zolman, La Habra-Sonora

American Stars

Star Farmer Josh Heupel, Merced-Golden Valley – National Finalist

Star in Agriscience Mackenzie Camacho, O’Neals-Minarets – National Finalist

Career/Leadership Development Events

Ag Communications Grass Valley-Bear River – 9^th Place

Macey Fowler – 4^th Place Bailey Ham – Silver

Connor McGehee – Silver Alyssa Downes – Bronze 

Ag Issues Tulare – National Champions

Emma Coelho Avery Coelho

Madeline Lew Aiden Champagne

Duncan Champagne

Ag Sales Merced-Golden Valley – 5^th Place

Amethyst Lumley – 9^th Place Cameron Ivy – Gold

Ashley Sandlin – Gold Kindall Grisham – Silver

Ag Mechanics Visalia-Golden West – Silver

Wyatt Benson – Gold Alejandro DeAvila – Silver

Ernest Murphy – Silver Samuel Pratt – Silver 

Agronomy Tulelake – 4^th Place

Tristan Walker – 6^th Place Johaned Aguilar – Gold

Analessa Greenwood – Gold Yuleidy Gonzalez – Silver

Conduct of Meetings Mariposa – Bronze

Creed Recitation Cottonwood-West Valley – 3^rd Place – Elissa Diaz

Dairy Cattle Chowchilla – 7^th Place

Rachel Mancebo – 5^th Zoe Bitter – Gold 

Logan Silveira – Gold Sydney Alexander – Silver 

Employability Skills Madera – Silver – Lesly Madriz

Environmental Sciences Foresthill – 3^rd Place

Clay Cantrell – 2^nd Kelly Cantrell – Gold

David Reinhart – Gold Sloan Farinha – Silver 

Extemporaneous Atwater-Buhach Colony – 2^nd Place – Isabelle Dillsaver

Farm Business Atwater – Silver

Daniel Lopez – Gold Elizabeth Ayala – Silver

Tristan Carday – Silver Celeste Shargoy – Silver 

Floriculture Gridley – Silver

Madeline Hamman – Gold Kennison Cota – Silver

Becca Hamman – Silver Hayley Triplett – Silver 

Food Science Elk Grove-Pleasant Grove – Bronze

Anna Bibby – Silver Lindsey Dillon – Bronze

Mackenzi Potter – Bronze Maddie Tellesen – Bronze 

Forestry Susanville-Lassen – 10^th Place

Aden Adams – Gold Ethan German – Gold

Morgan Merrill – Silver Ethan Shaw – Silver 

Horse Evaluation Clovis – 2^nd Place

Ashlin Torbet – 2^nd Taylor Brown – Gold 

Sydney Loucks – Gold Heather Prater – Gold 

Livestock Evaluation Oakdale – National Champions

Morgan Gravatt – 4^th Nicole Carter – 8^th

Jaiden Grivette – Gold Devon Pastor-Guzman – Gold

Marketing Plan Merced-El Capitan – National Champions

Autumn Miller Nikolas Williams

Makayla Ward

Meats Evaluation Woodlake – 7^th Place

Jessica Henderson – Gold Reagan Henderson – Gold

Paige Perez – Gold Izaiah Benavides – Silver 

Milk Quality Atwater – 5^th Place

Simarjot Gandhake – Gold Elisabeth Garner – Gold 

Nandini Patel – Gold Emma Garcia – Silver 

Nursery Operations Dinuba – 7^th Place

Yvonne Cortez – Gold Jesus Gutierrez – Gold

Victor Martinez – Gold Zachari Nelson – Silver 

Parliamentary Procedure Galt-Liberty Ranch – National Champions

Braden Crosson Luke Powers

Teddy Lopez Trevor Schmiedt

Itzel Zavala Trevor Denier

Poultry Judging Santa Maria-Righetti – Silver

Kiana Brown – Gold Anabel Guerrero – Silver

Enrique Hernandez – Silver Audrey Herrera – Silver 

Prepared Speaking Elk Grove – Silver – Samantha Albiani

Veterinary Science Madera – National Champions

Elena Robles – 1^st Kassard Hernandez – 2^nd 

Mercedes Gonzales – 3^rd Marilyn Bautista – Gold 

Honorary American Degree Recipients

Brett Camacho, Madera, Star Finalist Parent

Tammy Camacho, Madera, Star Finalist Parent

Jessica Fernandes, Buena Park, FFA Advisor

Alex Flores, Santa Paula, FFA Advisor

Brent George, Madera, FFA Advisor

Sarah Herdell, St. Helena, FFA Advisor

Jackie Heupel, LeGrand, Star Finalist Parent

Scott Heupel, LeGrand, Star Finalist Parent

Karla Larios, Holtville, National Officer Parent

Lori Marchy, Ceres, Modesto Junior College

Deanna Morton, Shandon, FFA Advisor

National Band, Chorus and Talent

Callie Boles, Poway (Band)

Damon Gallegos, Fallbrook (Chorus)

Phillip Miller, Merced-El Capitan (Band)

National Chapter

Bakersfield-Highland – Three Star

Bakersfield-Foothill – Two Star

Clarksburg-Delta – Two Star

Coalinga – Two Star

Exeter – Three Star

Firebaugh – Three Star

Hanford – Three Star

Imperial – Two Star

Kerman – One Star

Livingston – Three Star

Lone Pine – Three Star

Madera – Three Star

Merced – Two Star

Norco – Two Star

Porterville-Monache – Three Star

Sacramento-Florin – One Star

Sacramento-Sheldon – Two Star

Salinas-North Salinas – Two Star

Woodland – Two Star

National Delegates

Iyali Aguirre, Kelseyville

Isabella Albiani, Elk Grove

Andrew Angulo, El Centro-Southwest

Mia Arisman, Galt

Daniela Bastidas, El Centro-Southwest

Elizabeth Beebe, Santa Maria-Pioneer Valley

Jenna Bracy, Hanford

Shane Brennan, Templeton

Davis Bryant, Mariposa

Falon Butcher, Bakersfield-Christian

Marc Cabeliza, Santa Maria-Pioneer Valley

Princesa Ceballos, Porterville-Monache

Julianna Contreras, Merced-El Capitan

Kamille Dean, Merced-Golden Valley

Reagan Denny, Yuba City

Megan Donaldson, Tomales

Jake Dowell, O’Neals-Minarets

Austin Flood, Cottonwood-West Valley

Colby Galassi, Watsonville

Abelino Garza II, Bakersfield-Independence

Reese Gonsalves, Modesto

Reena Grewal, Livingston

Paul Horta Castaneda, McArthur-Fall River

Abigale Jacobsen, Elk Grove

Kaylen Jaime, Elk Grove-Pleasant Grove

Brian Kavanagh, Temecula- St. Jeanne

Hannah Kunkle, Apple Valley

Jade Lassaga, Marysville

Emily Lizarraga, Bakersfield-Independence

Omar Lopez, Madera

Rachel Lyman, Sutter Creek-Amador

Lesly Madriz Alcaraz, Madera

Hadynn McCormick, Turlock

Morgan Oliveira, Hilmar

Melanie Orozco Gonzalez, Holtville

Annie Petersen, Healdsburg

Isabella Ribeiro, Tulare

Micaiah Richison, Oakdale

Sophie Rodriguez, Menifee-Heritage

Sierra Short, Salinas-Everett Alvarez

Thomas Simas, Esparto

Taylor Sollecito, Salinas 

Makena Stanisai, Temecula- St. Jeanne

Brayton Stenberg, O’Neals-Minarets

Mallory Sutherland, Bakersfield-Frontier

Emma Thorpe, Lakeside-El Capitan

Gillian Villa, Santa Maria-Pioneer Valley

Neveya Villa. Atwater

Emily Winningham, Ukiah

National Nominating Committee

Dean Hill, Templeton, Chair

National Officer Candidate

Maico Ortiz, Galt

Proficiency Awards

Ag Communications Brianna Hafey, Wildomar-Elsinore – National Finalist

Ag Education Lesly Madriz, Madera – Gold

Ag Mech Design/Fab Ervin Pena, King City – Gold

Ag Mech Repair Entrep Adrian Hurtado, Merced-El Capitan – Gold 

Ag Mech Repair Place Kevin Hofstee, Tulare – Silver

Ag Processing Francisco Rocha, El Centro-Southwest – National Finalist

Ag Sales Placement Emily Wise, Bakersfield Christian – National Winner

Ag Services Hanna Scully, Kelseyville – Participant

Ag Research Animal Danae Westra, Visalia-Central Valley Christian – National Finalist

Ag Research Integrated Isabella Albiani, Elk Grove – Gold

Ag Research Plant Nicholas Mello, Hanford – National Finalist

Beef Entrep Caleb Eberhardt, Nicolaus-East Nicolaus – National Finalist

Beef Placement Wesley Knippler-Cole, Bakersfield-Frontier – National Finalist

Dairy Entrep Hartley Silva, Modesto – National Winner

Dairy Placement Shianne Omlin, Modesto – National Finalist

Diversified Ag Prod Blake Kalfsbeek, Colusa, National Finalist

Diversified Crop Entrep Peter Bliss, Merced-Golden Valley – National Winner

Diversified Crop Place Tristan Miller, Arbuckle-Pierce – Gold

Diversified Horticulture Madison Causey, Fallbrook – Participant

Diversified Livestock Lucille Burris, Ukiah – Gold 

Equine Science Entrep Delilah Westhaver, Wildomar-Elsinore – National Finalist

Equine Science Place Layton Oswald, Oakdale – National Winner

Forage Production Spencer Wolf, Merced-El Capitan – National Finalist

Forest Management Caleb Gretlein, Nipomo – National Finalist

Fruit Production Pamela Donoso-Merino, Watsonville – National Finalist

Goat Production Kamille Dean, Merced-Golden Valley – GOLD 

Grain Production Matthew Meents, Corning – Bronze 

Landscape Management Jonathan Rodriguez, Templeton – Gold 

Nursery Operations David Estrada, Watsonville – Gold 

Outdoor Recreation Gavin Renz, Hollister-San Benito – National Finalist

Poultry Production Ayden Gartenlaub, Bakersfield-Highland – National Finalist

Service Learning Marc Cabeliza, Santa Maria-Pioneer Valley – National Finalist

Sheep Production Kaycee Brassfield, San Andreas-Calaveras – National Finalist

Small Animal Tristan Cardey, Atwater – Gold

Specialty Animal Emersyn Klick, Healdsburg – Gold

Specialty Crop Savanah Downs, Bakersfield Christian – National Winner

Swine Entrep Sierra Collier, Fresno-Central – National Finalist

Swine Placement Christina De La Pena, Calipatria – National Finalist

Turf Grass Omar Lopez, Madera – Bronze

Vegetable Production Adela Garcia, Santa Maria-Pioneer Valley – National Finalist

Veterinary Science Claire Conard, Healdsburg – Silver

Wildlife Production Mason Haworth, Visalia-Central Valley Christian – National Winner

VIP Award

Robert Flores, Retired, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo

Michael Spiess, Retired, Chico State, Chico

Updated Cal Ag Ed Calendar

By: Charles Parker, California Department of Education, State FFA Advisor

Welcome to 2021! With the earlier State FFA Leadership Conference, there was a need to adjust many “normal” due dates. We realize that in the coming months students will be seeking opportunities to apply for various awards, submit scholarship applications, and seek experiences to continue to grow as a leader. To assist you in planning we are providing a summary of upcoming due dates. These applications and forms will be available on calaged.org. Should you not find what you are looking for do not hesitate to reach out.

Looking forward to seeing students and teachers at upcoming events and observing those deserving students as they receive the recognition they deserve.

Date	Application, For or Event
October 15	FFA Membership Rosters Due
October 15	Ag Incentive Grant Report of Expenditures Due
October 15	AET Profiles Updated (Students and Teachers)
November 1	MFE/ALA Registration Opens
December 1	SLE Applications Due
December 1	State FFA Scholarship Applications Due
December 1	State FFA Leadership Conference Registration Opens
December 15	Golden Owl-Star Advisor Nominations Due

Date	Application, For or Event
January	Star in Ag Placement, Ag Business, Ag Science & Farmer Applications Due
January	Proficiency Award Applications Due
January 1	National Scholarship Applications Due
January 15	State Leadership Conference Early Bird Registration Closes
January 14	State Nominating Committee Applications Due
January 14	State Officer Applications due
January 14	State Conference Committee & Sub-Committee Chair Applications Due
January 24	State Degree Applications Due in AET

Date	Application, For or Event
February 1	Star Administrator, Counselor & Supporting Staff Applications Due
February 1	Star Reporter Applications Due
February 1	State Talent Applications Due
February 1	National Chapter Applications Due in AET
February 1	Hall of Chapter Applications Due
February 1	Press Corps Applications Due
February 1	Web Page Applications Due

Date	Application, For or Event
February 1	Courtesy Corp Applications Due
February 1	State Distinguished Service Citation Nominations Due
February 1	Honorary State Degree Nominations Due
February 1	Ambassador Applications Due
February 15	State Conference Registration Due
February 15	State Conference Hardcopy Forms & Payment Due
February 25	Agriscience Fair Research Papers/Applications Due
March 4	State Proficiency Finalists Announced
March 10	State Prepared Public Speaking Manuscripts Due
March 10	State Job Interview Materials Due
April 1	State Officer Banquet Requests Due
May	American Degree Applications Due in AET
June 1	National Convention Delegate Applications Due
June 10	National Chapter Revisions Due
June 10	National Proficiency Award Revisions Due
June 10	National Agriscience Fair Certifications and Applications Due
June 15	National Band, Chorus and Talent Applications Due
June 15	National CDE/LDE Declarations Due
June 30	Ag Incentive Grant Funding Applications Due

Job Posting: Assistant State FFA Advisor

The California Department of Education is currently seeking a talented individual to serve as the Assistant State FFA Advisor. The position is located in Sacramento. The filing deadline is July 26, 2021. The official job announcement can be found here and below.

Job Posting: Assistant State FFA Advisor

Under the general supervision of the Education Administrator I of the Agriculture Education & Family and Consumer Sciences Office, the Education Programs Consultant is responsible for coordinating the statewide program of activities related to the Future Farmers of America (FFA) career technical student organization. The consultant also assists school districts in meeting federal and state requirements for agriculture education. The consultant is responsible for developing and maintaining a statewide agricultural education/FFA public information system, and providing technical support to local programs. Duties include, but are not limited to the following:

Serve as Assistant State FFA Advisor. Provide training to State FFA Officers in leadership development skills, and supervise the activities of State FFA student officers. Evaluate the training and operational effectiveness of state officers. Develop and conduct the state FFA program of leadership. Oversee and develop the Leadership Consortium program, and train presenters. Evaluate leadership programs, and recommend improvements. Plan and supervise state participation in national FFA activities. Provide training to California student delegates on National FFA issues, and certify all applications for awards and degrees.

Collect and process reports regarding program and student enrollment data; work with support staff to maintain current files and records; develop and maintain a statewide agricultural education public information system, and communicate with local educational agencies.

Conduct workshops, seminars, and meetings to improve teacher performance; provide professional development for teachers integrating agriculture into the curriculum, and assist teacher preparation programs in an effort to provide high-quality teachers.

Provide technical assistance as needed to maintain and strengthen local programs, and promote the initiation of new programs, by providing materials for chartering and operating a local career technical student organization.

Maintain contact with business and industry groups in agriculture-related fields, and maintain liaison with post-secondary institutions and other agencies providing agricultural education.

You will find additional information about the job in the Duty Statement.

For more information about the California Agricultural Teachers’ Association, visit http://calagteachers.org/

California Department of Education Update: June 2021

By: Charles Parker, California Department of Education, State FFA Advisor

I wish to extend a big thank you to the 2020-2021 State FFA Officers (Dean, Emma, Mia, Reese, Taylor and Maico) for electing to spend a year serving the FFA in California. Their dedication and commitment to providing quality experiences to FFA members was heartwarming. With every challenge, they created opportunities. At every opportunity, they ensured that the focus was on the local members. At every event, they worked hard to provide meaningful experiences. I believe that we are placed in positions for a purpose and this team is no exception. They were the right individuals and the right team to lead California FFA during the Pandemic. These six young men and women will be missed. But, I know they are headed off to college where they will find new passions and new ways to demonstrate their servant leadership. Best of luck to each of them.

In addition to the work of the officers, a special thank you goes out to Mr. Dane White. Dane is a resilient individual who provided the leadership needed during a difficult time. His ability to focus on the local members is what allowed students to find opportunities for success. I am proud that Mr. White is part of our team. 

The entire staff of Jill, JessaLee, Shay, Greg, Jackie, Hugh and Dane are to be commended for the commitment they have for agricultural education. Each day they rise with the desire to be helpful. It is through their determination that opportunities existed for teachers. I am lucky to be able to work with such an outstanding group of individuals.

I raise my glass of water in a toast to the end of 2020-2021 and the beginning of 2021-2022. May we remember what we have learned over the past year so that we do not allow history to repeat itself. And, may we elect to move forward with a new hope and excitement.

Additional Announcements:

New CEO of National FFA and National FFA Foundation Named

Scott Stump was chosen as the next CEO of the National FFA Organization and National FFA Foundation. Scott is no stranger to FFA or Agricultural Education. He was an agriculture teacher, worked with National FFA and served as the State Supervisor in Colorado. In addition, he was the COO of Vivayic, Inc. and most recently served as the Assistant Secretary of Career, Technical and Adult Education for the U. S. Department of Education. Scott will begin his duties at FFA beginning June 21.

National FFA Convention

Convention Town Hall webinars are scheduled for early June to help teachers/advisors prepare for the upcoming National FFA Convention & Expo. The webinars will be hosted by Mandy Hazlett, National FFA Associate Director of Conventions & Events, along with other events team members. A town hall for teachers/advisors will be held on Thursday, June 10 at either 9 a.m. EDT or 7:30 p.m. EDT. The town halls will be recorded and shared for those who are unable to attend. Details on how to register and submit questions will be released the first week of June.

Awards and Recognition

For the latest information on awards and recognition, visit https://convention.ffa.org/awards-recognition/. Use this page for an overview of event timelines, including when finalists will be announced and when event-specific orientation packets will become available. This page also includes updates for: 

• Agricultural Proficiency Awards
• Agriscience Fair
• American FFA Degree
• American Star Awards
• Career and Leadership Development Events
• Honorary Awards
• National Chapter Awards

Should any questions arise, do not hesitate to reach out to a Regional Supervisor, Mr. White or myself. If we do not have an answer, we will find the individual who does.

Enjoy your summer!

For more information about the California Agricultural Teachers’ Association, visit http://calagteachers.org/