American Falls High School

FFA state winners from AFHS advance to national semi-finals
by Fernando Montelongo
The American Falls FFA Chapter is proud to present the two state win- ning career development events (CDE) teams ad- vancing to the national semi-finals held in Indi- anapolis, IN. The National
FFA Convention and Expo will be held in the Indiana Convention Center from October 25 through 30.
The National FFA Convention is the world’s largest in school youth con- ventions. They hold and announce American FFA
degrees, career success tours, competitive events, delegate business sessions, entertainment, and student teacher workshops.
Jessica Hernandez, Damaris Ortiz, Aurora Or- tiz, and Katie Bischoff are the four young women that
will represent Idaho in the floriculture CDE. They must be able to accurate- ly identify 120 different plants, identify 28 com- mon diseases and pests, complete 10 practical math problems, and answer 50 multiple choice questions relating to floral design and greenhouse production. The team advanced to the semi- finals in August by placing in the top 20. The semi-fi- nals will include a floral ar- rangement practicum, one- on-one sales, asexual plant propagation, and a team ac- tivity. Final results will be announced on stage at the national convention.
Aunnika Allen, Fernan- do Montelongo, and Macy Winder are the two young women and young man that will represent Idaho in the marketing plan CDE. They worked closely with Valley Ag to develop a marketing plan for their line of bio- logical products. The team must prepare a nine-page written portfolio and a 15- minute presentation detail- ing their marketing plan.
The team also had to conduct research by sur- veying local agriculturalists to strengthen their overall plan. They submitted their portfolio and a recording of their presentation in early August. They also had a live question and answer session that was judged late in August. The team is ranked in the top 18 and will compete at the national convention for a spot in the finals hall.
These teams have been studying since December of 2020 in preparation for the various events. Attend- ing the National FFA Con-
vention and Expo will be a first time for many of the students.
“I think it will be a re- ally good experience for me because I’ve been really involved with FFA and in
love with it. I’m also really glad we’re going because myteamandIhaveputina lot of effort,” said Aunnika Allen, member of the Mar- keting Plan CDE team.
The American Falls
FFA chapter knows they are dedicated students who believe in the future of agri- culture. Good luck to these teams as they continue preparing for the national semi-finals!