For Immediate Release

Friday, Dec. 7, 2018

Media Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: john@jgpr.net

Seacoast School of Technology Students Place in FFA National Competition

EXETER — Seacoast School of Technology students in the Animal and Plant Science program showcased their skills during the National Future Farmers of America (FFA) Convention and Expo, where they took home gold, silver and bronze awards.

The National FFA Organization is dedicated to preparing students for leadership and careers in the science, business and technology of agriculture. Each year, more than 67,000 students from schools across the nation travel to compete against their peers in one of the world’s largest student conventions.

Seventeen seniors and graduates from SST headed to the competition in Indianapolis, Indiana on Oct. 24-27. The multi-day event had schools judged on their team and individual student performances in a number of categories.

Seniors Haley Storey and Jenna Marston, both of Exeter High School, and Jack Muench, and Stephanie Gablosky, both of Sanborn Regional High School, competed in the Horse Evaluation Career Development Event. The team spent two days judging a number of horses based on their performance and halter (look/image of the animal). In the end, the team earned a bronze for the school, while Marston took home gold for her individual performance.

“Given that we don’t have horses here and we only had one year to study, whereas most students study their entire high school career, I think we placed pretty well,” Storey said. “At the competition you learn a lot about yourself and what you can do.”

In another group, seniors Madison Cray and Jennie Zanellis, both of Great Bay Charter School, Ashley Martin, of Epping High School, and Izzy Toomey, of Exeter High School, competed in the milk quality event, which tested students’ abilities in production and marketing and cheese and milk tasting. The team earned a bronze medal, with Toomey taking home silver for her individual score.

Alyssa Johnstone, of Exeter High School, earned bronze for her performance in the extemporaneous speaking event, where she had 10 minutes to research an agricultural related topic and then create a five minute presentation. She chose to speak about migrant farm workers in the U.S.

The marketing team, Syndey Creamer, of Exeter High School, and Emma Lanseigne and Brooke Valliere, both of Sanborn Regional High School, worked with a local dog grooming company in New Hampshire to develop a marketing plan that would expand the business. Following a detailed presentation to a panel of judges, the team earned a bronze award.

“It was incredible to go and see 67,000 other people who shared the same goals and interests as us,” Valliere said. “It was great to step out of our comfort zone and try something we wouldn’t have otherwise.”

Recent graduate Victoria Falvo earned a bronze for her work in the employability event, where she was critiqued on her resume, her ability to fill out a job application, an over the phone job interview, an in-person interview and a networking event.

Melanie Belanger, Kristin Amaral, Hannah Morrill and Alivia Callan, all recent SST graduates, competed in the agricultural sales event. To prepare, over the summer, they received instructions from the National FFA Organization that they would be pitching a landscaping trailer to judges at the competition. They researched the product, created corresponding marketing materials and made their presentation, to which they earned a bronze medal.

“Everyone who competed this year did well and I’m so pleased by their personal growth,” said Animal and Plant Science instructor Anne DeMarco. “Teams spent the last year preparing for this competition and a lot of students did something they weren’t capable of doing a year ago. It’s a lot of personal growth.”

About Seacoast School of Technology:

The Seacoast School of Technology is the regional Career and Technical Center serving high school students from Epping, Exeter, Newmarket, Raymond, Sanborn Regional and Winnacunnet high schools.

SST offers selective coursework preparing students for their lives after high school – college, workforce or the military. Many of their 12 programs allow students to earn college credit and industry-recognized certifications while fulfilling their high school graduation requirements. Most importantly, students get the opportunity to explore areas of interest in a hands-on environment with state-of-the-art facilities and cutting-edge technology.

To find out more, visit seacoasttech.com.

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