Science is Tomlin Middle School student MacKenzie Steele’s least favorite subject. But, that didn’t stop her and her teammate, Caroline Brummer, from becoming finalists in the 2013 National Agriscience Fair at the 86th National FFA Convention and Expo. In fact, the eighth-graders also gained a little appreciation for the subject.
“I thought it was something fun,” Steele said. “It was a little extra challenge.”
The students placed seventh at the competition, which took place Oct. 30, in Louisville, Ky. To qualify for the competition, they had to first be selected as the state winner at their state agriscience fairs and earn national competition eligibility after being placed in the top 15 within their respective categories.
They also had to present scientific research in the fields of animal systems, environmental services/natural resource systems, food products and processing systems, plant systems, power, structural and technical systems and social systems. The duo chose food products and processing systems.
Their project focused on which type of packaging decreases the spoilage of food. They compared aluminum foil to plastic. Plastic came out the victor.
Like many science fairs, the team had to conduct an experiment and present a board on their research and findings. For the layout, the team got creative, creating a board that looked like a giant PowerPoint presentation slide.
A panel of judges also asked each student five questions about the project.
“I was mostly worried about the questions,” Brummer said. “I had no idea what they would ask me. But, they turned out to be easy.”
Brummer has been in FFA for three years. It was the blue corduroy jackets that caught her eye in fifth-grade. From then on, she was determined to join the ranks of FFA competitors.
“I like the CDE competitions,” Brummer said. “It’s just fun to compete with a team.”
Steele got involved in FFA through her STEM class in seventh-grade. Agriscience was one her classes she was taking.
“I like the public-speaking aspect,” Steele said. “It’s really helped me blossom with my public speaking.”
Both students want to continue their FFA careers next year in high school.
Contact Amber Jurgensen at ajurgensen@plantcityobserver.com.
ALL-STAR SQUAD
Madi Conrad and Selena Ortega also were recognized at Nationals for the 3 Star National Chapter award. Chapters that receive a gold rating by their state FFA associations are eligible to compete for National FFA their three-star, two-star or one-star ratings. Chapters that receive a national three-star chapter rating will be eligible to compete for the National Model of Innovation, Model of Excellence and Outstanding Middle School Chapter Awards.