Whether it’s cutting flowers, dissecting a rabbit, or polishing metal, the FFA program brings diverse opportunities to all students at PRHS. This last semester, however, these opportunities catapulted the PRHS FFA program to fifth best in the state of California out of 380 competing programs.. This placement is the highest the program has ever reached. Rankings are determined based on the State FFA Executive Committee Members, American FFE Degree, State FFA Degrees, State Proficiency Awards, and State Championships.
Overall the program is admired by many students and teachers for its opportunities and interactive student classes. Between their Animal Science, Welding, or Floral pathway, and specialized classes such as AG Government and Economics or AG Leadership the program holds diverse opportunities.
Animal Science teacher Amanda Gardner talks about how much the program has grown. As she has taught here for ten years she says it’s not just a few changes which got them the fifth but years of work.
Floral teacher Teresa Clark is excited about what this success will bring to the program.
“I think our student base has really started to understand the importance of earning their degree and being recognized for it. Because of this we are opening up more scholarship opportunities for kids, and I feel success just grows success. And we’re having fun watching our kids do that within our department,” said Clark.
With the four AG teachers being Teresa Clark, Amanda Gardner, Matthew Vierra, and Alison Weiss, Clark says the hard work going into the department is balanced between such diverse talents.
“I think we all work together very well. We all have different strengths and because of that I think it really helps build our program and build it stronger. We have a wide variety of kids that we work with, not such livestock kids but floral kids, vet science kids, welding kids, we even have Weiss coaching and competing with the water quality and issue team. I think we have such a diverse population and all of us (teachers) are really different so it really helps being everybody in,” Clark said.
Yet behind all the hard work these advisers have put in they cannot help but credit their students for the accomplishment made.
“It’s so nice for our kids and our community to get that recognition. Also we lead it, its really the recognition of the hard work our students put in day in and day out and all the achievements they have earned because if you look at the basis for that accomplishment it all has to do what the kids are doing in the chapter. Yes, the advisers have an impact but I think it just really shows the growth and performance as a whole in our community and thats pretty cool,” said Clark.
Senior Daisy Garcia who has been in FFA since her freshman year talks about how proud and grateful she is of the program.
“I’m so proud of the program. They offer such diverse things like dissections, and they give you opportunities to interact with things that you usually don’t interact with, especially if you don’t live an agricultural life at home. It’s just very fun,” said Garcia.
Throughout the years the FFA program has grown in numbers and ranking. Teachers and students are proud of the work they put in and excited to see what the program will become.
“It’s something to be proud of. I’m not one to just brag about it all the time but it does make you feel really proud of the accomplishment. And I think our students are really proud of it too,” Gardner said.
