It was a year of victory for Plant City-area students who attended the National FFA Convention. This year’s convention was held Oct. 29 to Nov. 1, in Louisville, Kentucky, and some local students were strong enough competitors to place highly among the record-breaking 64,000 students in attendance.
Plant City High School students had not competed at the national level in more than 10 years, but seven PCHS sophomores went to the convention to compete as an Agriculture Issues team. Advisers LeighAnn Cason and Tiffany Parrish joined them.
“They’re just such a young team, competing against kids that were freshmen in college now, and they still held their own,” Parrish said.
The team placed 16th in the nation.
Their presentation explored the pros and cons of Paladin, a controversial soil fumigant that has been applied in many local strawberry fields for the past two growing seasons. They acted out a town meeting, with one student presiding as mayor, three representing community members who supported the use of Paladin and the remaining three offering arguments against its use.
“I really did feel like I was sitting in a town hall meeting,” Parrish said. “They had arguments, and they seemed real.”
Two local students also stood out for their individual achievements at this year’s convention.
Mylie Feaster, a 2014 graduate of Durant High School, attended the convention for her fourth time. She was on Durant’s state-winning Parliamentary Procedure team this year, but instead of competing in Parliamentary Procedure at the national level, she decided to compete in Job Interview.
As a Job Interview competitor, Feaster placed eighth in the nation. The competition included four separate in-person interviews, a phone interview, a follow-up letter and a networking meeting. Feaster completed each task as though she were applying for a position as a graphic design artist.
“The FFA really instills hard work ethic in you, especially when it comes to contests,” Feaster said. “It gives you that initiative.”
Feaster also served as one of seven state officers selected from Florida this year. She contributed to the team as the state vice president.
“It really prepares you for the work force, and to be able to work with people who aren’t necessarily just like you,” Feaster said.
Another local graduate, Victoria Harris, also served as a state officer this year.
Harris graduated from Strawberry Crest High School this May. She joined an agriculture class as a sophomore.
“I’m the first person in my family to be in the FFA, but I really fell in love with the organization,” Harris said.
She was surprised to have been selected as a presidential candidate, and then chosen as the state secretary.
“I was kind of an underdog, not coming from an agricultural area,” she said. “It was definitely a humbling experience.”
RESULTS
Student: Mylie Feaster
Event: Job Interview
School: Durant High School (May 2014)
Placement: Top 8; Gold Emblem
Students: Arie Fry, Benji Padgett, Megan Todd, Taylor Grimes, Lauren Schism, Gresham Stephens, Ashlyn Yarbrough
Event: Agriculture Issues
School: Plant City High School
Placement: Top 16; Silver Emblem
Students: Alyssa Shepherd, Clint Walden, Kaitlyn Taylor, Keri Greenwood, Mariah Kunze, Haley Burleson
Event: Parliamentary Procedure
School: Durant High School
Placement: Bronze Emblem
FAIR WINNERS
Two local FFA girls also won awards at the 2014 Hillsborough County Fair Swine Show and Sale against 82 other exhibitors Friday, Oct. 24.
Marissa Zolna, of the Marshall FFA chapter, won the Montana Silversmith buckle for outstanding showmanship in the Intermediate Showmanship division, and Keylee Christie, of the Plant City Senior FFA chapter, won the Montana Silversmith buckle in the Senior Showmanship division.
Contact Catherine Sinclair at csinclair@plantcityobserver.com.